Taxi terror ends? Gauteng strikes on unsafe taxis and unlicensed drivers

Gauteng

Cape Town – Gauteng’s Roads and Transport Department has escalated enforcement operations across the province, targeting minibus taxis that fail roadworthiness tests and drivers without proper licences.

The move follows mounting evidence that large portions of the public-transport system operate outside legal and safety norms, putting commuters and other road users at risk.

According to TimeLive, at least 62 taxis were removed from Gauteng roads in a single week.

The province’s Transport Inspectorate (GTI) conducted operations between 22 and 28 September 2025, during which 1,104 traffic infringement notices were issued — 469 manually and 635 via the e‑force electronic system.

Among the violations uncovered were mechanical defects, lack of documentation, and operators driving vehicles without valid licences.

Provincial records confirm the scale of the problem: 52 minibus taxi drivers were found operating without valid driving licences, and 92 more were driving with no licence at all. The violations ranged from faulty brakes and lighting systems to missing permits and documentation.

The crackdown is part of a longer campaign. Between 15 and 21 September, the GTI reportedly removed 65 minibuses from roads for failing safety inspections and identified 184 drivers without valid licences, issuing a total of 2 886 infringement notices in that week alone.

These details were confirmed by Daily Sun, which cited the GTI’s data and outlined the mechanical and legal violations recorded.

In that period, over a thousand notices were issued manually and 1 886 via the e‑force system. The increase in enforcement activity is part of a declared “zero-tolerance approach” by the province toward noncompliance in the public transport sector, as confirmed by SAnews.gov.za.

Yet, the challenges run deeper than inspections. At a media briefing, the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) disclosed that over 50 % of Gauteng taxi drivers lack operating licences.

According to Central News, SANTACO spokesperson Midday Mali raised concerns about systemic gaps in the licensing process:

“We are doing the investigation of why the operating licenses are not issued, why operators are operating with fraudulent licenses on the ground? Why is there fraud within the system for applying operating license?”

Some taxi operators have pushed back. In August 2025, SANTACO’s Ekurhuleni branch suspended services, citing what it described as “selective and unfair law enforcement.”

Its regional secretary, Zweli Mnisi, claimed that 10-seater ‘baby buses’ were being impounded despite having submitted licence applications in prior years.

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