Bolt ‘not legal’ as cops seize taxis

Gauteng Traffic Police are clamping down on allegedly illegal Bolt Lite taxis, impounding 29 yellow Bajaj Qute vehicles across Johannesburg in the CBD, Braamfontein, Westbury and Noordgesig since the weekend.

It was understood the fleet had been converted to provide public transportation services without the necessary permits.

Most drivers reportedly ran away and abandoned their vehicles in an attempt to avoid legal action upon being flagged down.

Gauteng Traffic Police spokesperson Sello Maremane said most of the vehicles impounded did not have valid operating licences.

The police called upon the owners to refrain from using these vehicles as public transport without valid operating licences, he said.

“This kind of practice may also lead to taxi conflict, which often results in loss of lives.”

But some Bajaj drivers claimed they operated legally in their areas. Working under the Johannesburg Community Taxi Association (JCTA), driver Wayne Visagie from Claremont said he had been working for the JCTA for almost five months.

“We are providing local public transport to the community in the different areas,” he said. Visagie told The Citizen the service functioned under a call centre system where customers called to be picked up.

“It is safe, reliable and makes good money. We charge R10 to transport you but, depending on the distance, it can go up to R15.

“The people in these areas are happy – especially the grannies and pensioners. Sometimes we transport them for free,” Visagie said.

Questioned about the ones which were impounded, Visagie claimed those operated illegally.

“Those ones are illegal. My car was also taken, but I eventually got it back after I explained and showed them my papers were in order,” he said.

“There are lot of the cars which were taken. They are causing problems for us who are operating legally. They are operating under Bolt and did not have any permits.”

Pleased with the service in her area, Maria Segopolo from Stonewall said she had been using these services ever since they were introduced.

“I am happy with this transport service. I have been using it for more than six months now. It’s affordable and very convenient,” she said.

“I use it every single day. Most of them are not requested so if you’ve got a number for these drivers, you just call them and they’ll pick you up wherever you are and then drop you off.”

Bolt Lite responds:

Takura Malaba, Bolt regional manager, East and Southern Africa, last night responded to the allegations by the Gauteng Traffic Police:

Bolt is aware traffic officials decided to impound a number of ride-hailing vehicles in Johannesburg. This action was unexpected for us and drivers have not been presented with an official reason for the impound. We are currently engaging with the local authorities to resolve this situation.

Bajaj vehicles are licensed to operate in South Africa and on South African roads. They are designated as compact quadricycles and are aimed at intra-city transportation, or “last mile transportation”. The Bajaj is eligible to run on all South African roads and is National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS)- approved, which was approved in 2017. The Bajaj Qutes have been sold in South Africa since 2017. There has been no reason since 2017 that has required the NRCS to direct they should not operate on SA roads.

Additionally, these vehicles have undergone a standard vehicle licensing process and have been issued with number plates after the registration process with the Gauteng Transport and Logistics department. They have been registered on the electronic National Administration Traffic Information System (eNaTIS).