Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe has condemned taxi patrollers for harassing community members asking for lifts from passing motorists on the roads.
The MEC has noted that taxi patrols have the tendency of forcing hitchhikers to use minibus taxis allocated at nearby taxi ranks even when they are not willing to do so.
He said such practice is illegal and patrollers should refrain from harassing the community.
“Taxi patrollers are neither transport inspectors nor law enforcement officers. Such responsibility resides with the law enforcers and public transport inspectors. Although we do not encourage members of the community to stand on highways and ask for lifts, we cannot condone vigilantism that comes from taxi patrollers wrestling for passengers with private vehicle owners,” said the MEC.
Shongwe also said passengers have the right to decide on their preferred travel arrangements or means of public transport. he further explained that there is no law that bounds commuters to only use taxis as means of transport whenever they travel.
“People have the freedom to choose any type of transport when they travel to various destinations whenever they wish,”said the MEC in his statement.
He sent out a strong warning to taxi patrols that law enforcers will be deployed in various areas to ensure commuters safety and security.
