The City says it impounded 14 taxis this past weekend, all (except one) in compliance with the agreement with SANTACO.

The City’s Traffic Service impounded 8 taxis on Friday and 6 taxis on Saturday.

The MMC for Safety and Security JP Smith says only one impoundment was contrary to the agreement with SANTACO and this vehicle was released because it hadn’t been processed yet.

This particular taxi had loaded 4 passengers more than the National Land Transport Act (NLTA) permits.

Smith says the other taxis were impounded for the serious offences as agreed upon, and these are impoundments under the NLTA for (a) vehicles driving without an operating license, or (b) on the incorrect route, or (c) without a drivers license or PDP, or (d) which are not roadworthy.

A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on the exercise of the discretionary power provided for in the National Land Transport Act will be finalised by the Taxi Task Team within the next 14 days.

The Taxi Task Team will further define a list of additional major offences in terms of which vehicles will be impounded and define less serious offences for which we will continue to issue fines.

No one is above the law and while the SOP is still being developed, we cannot allow any road users to do as they please.

Smith claims leadership in SANTACO have also misrepresented the facts of the agreement to taxi owners or drivers – allegedly telling them that no vehicles may be impounded.

He says this creates the conditions for confrontation on the streets when officers implement the agreement SANTACO accepted last week.

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SANTACO has meanwhile distanced itself from fake news that another strike is being planned.

As SANTACO we want to categorically state that, there is no strike planned by the industry. What is being circulated around is fake news. – Nceba Enge

The taxi body is meeting today to decide on the way forward.