The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport has said it is illegal for anyone to stop cars, pull out passengers and force them to use taxis.
This comes after the department responded to viral social media posts which claimed that the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) was warning motorists not to have more than one passenger in their vehicles.
Commenting on social media posts alleging that “Santaco members have blocked roads and that South Africans can’t have more than one passenger in their cars – whether they are kids, family, friends or colleagues”, the department said Santaco in KZN denied knowledge of the matter.
“We have contacted Santaco in KwaZulu-Natal. And the organisation has denied knowing the existence of such activities and has distanced itself from such illegal operations,” the department’s statement said.
The department’s spokesperson Ndabe Sibiya also shared a media statement from Santaco which said the claims were “completely false and have no basis in fact”.
“We urge members of the public to refrain from spreading or believing unverified information, particularly on social media as it may incite unnecessary panic and confusion. Santaco remains committed to operating transparently and lawfully, in the interest of all transport users and stakeholders,” the Santaco KZN statement said.
Regarding another matter on public transport, the department said it was aware of a letter from the Klipriver Scholar Transport office which had warned that any private vehicle found carrying schoolchildren will be impounded.
The department said that in October last year, this matter came under discussion in a meeting convened by the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma and attended by KZN provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and Santaco.
The department said the MEC has mandated the Provincial Regulatory Entity (PRE) in the department to work with the police on the matter.
“PRE is responsible for monitoring and overseeing public transport within the province. As guided by the National Land Transport Act, the PRE handles operating licences for public transport vehicles and other related regulatory functions.”
THE MERCURY
