Concern about high volume of mini-bus taxis travelling to other provinces

I note with serious concern the number of mini-bus taxis who are not adhering to transport regulations and are travelling to, amongst others, the Eastern Cape during this Easter weekend.

Transport Regulations restrict the purposes for which public transport can be used, the number of people that can be transported in a public transport vehicle, the times when public transport can operate and the safety and hygiene standards that public transport services must follow.

Provincial Traffic proactively planned for the movement of vehicles on our roads and there was a special focus on the Easter weekend with roadblocks starting on Thursday and ending on Monday. There were roadblocks at the Huguenot tunnel, Rawsonville weighbridge and the N1 Matjiesfontein.  There was also a fixed roadblock on the R61 outside Beaufort West last night.

All these operations are aimed at enforcing the regulations and monitoring the movement of public transport vehicles especially those who are travelling to other provinces for funerals. Our officers assured me that the situation on the road is not as bad as portrayed on social media. There is no congestion on our roads and all sites have been cleared.

During these operations our officers found that some of the mini-bus taxis were not adhering to transport regulations. Many were overloaded and other passengers did not have the necessary documentation permitting them to be on the road. This forced our officers to turn back a number of mini-bus taxis. Some vehicles including taxis have bypassed main roads and have succeeded to sneak through to the Eastern Cape without permits. Those must be returned and face the consequences.

The reason for this was explained to be a high volume of passengers and vehicles who are travelling to the Eastern Cape to attend funerals.

I want to reassure the people of the Western Cape and South Africa that we will not allow any illegal operations on our roads.

Social distancing on public transport is critical if we are to stop the spread of Covid-19.  I urge all transport operators to follow the Regulations and Directives issued by National Government which stipulate how public transport should operate during the lockdown period. 

Public transport can be used only for rendering essential services, obtaining essential goods or services, seeking medical attention, funeral services and for collecting payment of grants and pensions.  Essential services workers using public transport must carry a permit from their employer proving their status.