Dangerous taxi activities on Beyers Naudé Drive South

Gabriel Greeff writes:

Attention: Cresta Shopping Centre Management and JHB Roads Agency Beyers Naudé Dr Cresta Shopping Centre Johannesburg 2194

Dear Sir/Madam,

RE: Taxi activities on Beyers Naude drive south of Cresta Shopping Centre

This letter serves to inform Cresta Centre Management and Johannesburg Roads Agency of the dangerous taxi activities occurring along Beyers Naude Drive adjacent to the Cresta Shopping Centre in Randburg.

This morning [6 October], my son was involved in a vehicular accident due to the taxi activities at the junction noted above. This is a direct consequence of inadequate facilities, poor management and a lack of law enforcement. We live close by and witness the daily problems and accidents that result from this “drop-off” facility that functions as an illegal taxi rank.

As an architect and urban designer, I must firstly point out that a shopping centre the size of Cresta, with all its recent expansion, has not adequately catered for the obvious need of taxi commuters to and from the centre and surrounding areas.

Secondly, in the approval of plans and the development of road infrastructure around the Cresta Shopping Centre, I do not understand how JRA and the Johannesburg Municipality could be happy with the current state of affairs. This is further exacerbated by the blatant and lawless behaviour of taxi drivers that operate according to their own rules causing danger to both pedestrians and other vehicles traversing along Beyers Naude. I, therefore, appeal to you as a local resident to take note of what must be an obvious problem to all, before further, more serious accidents occur leading to the loss of life.

I will follow up on this matter and will also forward this letter to the Randburg Sun as I believe that serious action must be taken to avoid further danger to the local community.

Kind Regards,

GP Greeff Principal Architect and Urban Designer, GP Greeff and Associates

Editor’s note: Letter published unedited.