Randburg Taxi Rank

The Randburg Taxi Rank, housing 12 associations, was built in 2001 and accommodates approximately 2 500 taxis per day, including those that travel long distances.
Thousands of ordinary residents use the rank daily to get to and from work, keeping the economy turning and children in school.
Randburg Sun spoke to Lesetja Johannes Rammala, business marketer for the rank, about its daily running.
Rammala said that each association has different models of taxis, such as the 14 and 24-seater minibuses, making it difficult to estimate the number of passengers making use of the rank.
“Occasionally the rank faces a problem, especially in the morning, when some drivers don’t come to work on time to transport the people who are waiting in the queue,” he said.
“Imagine there is no taxi passing by to pick you up in the morning and take you to work. Most business will be affected and these will also have an impact on the development of the economy and the country as a whole,” he said.
“As this rank is situated in Randburg, the drivers strive by all means to ensure that their passengers get to work safely and on time, so associations bring many taxis into the area.”
He added, “Although there is an increase in the number of taxis, which makes the rank to look very small compared to before, associations believe the rank has developed and because of that, travelling is made easier and more convenient for the people living in Johannesburg at large.
“Considering that there are over 2 500 taxis, the rank entrance becomes more clogged each day, which can sometimes cause a delay, but all associations are coming up with ideas that can help manage the matter.”
Rammala also added that the rank does not only have local taxis because over the weekend, other associations try to shift from their daily routes to assist with the long-distance transportation. This includes moving from Randburg to Tembisa, Faraday, Ivory Park, Pretoria, Polokwane, Mafikeng, Rustenburg and other places outside Gauteng province.
“Sometimes people get confused which taxi to take and I will advise everyone who is not familiar with the rank to ask the taxi drivers or go to the reception for assistance,” he said.

Petrick Malatjie who works for the Router Association in the Randburg Taxi Rank, has been a driver since 2011.

He said, “It was not my dream to be a taxi driver. Just like other people I imagined that one day I could be a businessman who owns more than one building, but then things did not go the way I had planned.
“But at some point being a taxi driver taught me more about people of different backgrounds and now I see my importance in the society at large.”
Malatjie said that he drives every day from Randburg to Cresta, Northgate, and Weltevreden Park, and all these trips have different tariffs.
“Per day I drive four to five hours which is approximately 35 hours in a week, but sometimes I also work extra hours,” he said.
“The kilometres I drive per day differ because sometime passengers get lost, not knowing their destination very well and as a driver I have to ensure that they arrive to the exact location without being robbed.”
Malatjie added that from Monday to Sunday he drives 200km per day which is 1 400km in a week.
“Since I am a local driver I use Republic Road to Beyers Naudé Drive seven to eight times a day, but sometimes even more than 12 times depending on the traffic.
“Compared to the time I started working, the traffic has increased which makes it difficult for me to stop and pick up passengers alongside the road and this has a huge impact, especially since the roads are not always safe to cross in the morning and at night.
“As an everyday driver I do not always get along with other drivers of different sectors, especially on the road because some of them tend to fight for passengers not understanding that we have to work together as drivers.”
Malatjie added that being a taxi driver is not just sitting in the driver’s seat counting money but it is very difficult when it comes to the safety of your passengers, not forgetting that every single passenger’s life is in your hands as a driver.

Safety tips for taxi passengers:

• If you do know where you are going to, ask the drivers if they know the place.
• Write down the address of the area on a piece of paper since cell phones can switch of.
• Always remind the driver that he/she shouldn’t forget and pass where

Randburg Taxi Rank users told us what they think of their taxi rank. Here’s what they had to say…