Bid for new taxi rank in Pretoria East

A Pretoria East councillor has vowed to solve the problem of illegal taxi ranks in her ward, reports the Pretoria East Rekord.

Jacqui Uys, of Ward 85, said there were already three illegal taxi ranks in the ward.

“There are taxi ranks on Stellenberg Road, the corner of Hans Strydom Drive and Lynnwood Road as well as the corner of Lynnwood Road and Olympus Drive.

“There is also an illegal rank at Menlyn Park, but there is a plan on the table for a legal rank to be built at Menlyn Maine.

“The nearest legal taxi rank is in Boom Street in Arcadia.”

Uys said, however, that this was still far away from her ward.

“As a ward councillor, we can suggest three things that is of urgency in our wards based on feedback from the community. This will form part of the integrated development plan [IDP]. One of my three items are to get a taxi rank up in my ward.”

She said building a rank would solve another problem in her ward – street vendors.

“If there is a new taxi rank then these vendors will flock to the newly formed taxi rank.”

Uys said residents had suggested designated pickup zones for people to wait for buses or taxis.

“Taxis needs a place to stop [holding zone]. They aren’t the same as a bus. They need to be full capacity before driving on. They need to stop somewhere between their rounds. We need a central place for all the taxis to be together.

“We understand that it is inconvenient to have illegal taxi ranks being put up throughout the ward, but we also need to remember that people need to get to their workplace and that there is no legal taxi rank anywhere in the east.

“If we develop a legal taxi rank, we can also ensure that people have sanitary services and that they are in a safe place while waiting for their transport.”

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MMC for roads and transport Sheila Senkubuge said it had come to the department’s attention that there were a number of unlawful taxi ranks in Pretoria East, necessitated by new developments in the area.

“However, the business of the day has to carry on as per normal. Commuters have to use the public transport to and from the different destinations, with the challenge of no-holding areas and insufficient taxi ranks, which has led to the proliferation of unlawful taxi ranks.”

Senkubuge said as the new administration, the department was in the process of formalising some of the taxi ranks for the purpose of creating adequate holding facilities.

Uys urged residents to get involved in their community.

“The IDP will be revised in March; people can have an input as to what they want to be put on the plan.”

– Caxton News Service

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