WATCH: Tshwane to streamline taxi operations in inner city to ease traffic congestion

In an effort to decongest the roads in the Pretoria CBD, the Tshwane metro has partnered with taxi associations.

The metro announced on Monday that it had entered into the partnerships to deal with traffic congestion caused by the influx of minibus taxis into the CBD.

MMC for Roads and Transport Dikeledi Selowa said the number of minibus taxis into the inner city, combined with other motorists resulted in traffic congestion challenges within the Pretoria CBD.

Selowa said this congestion was worst around peak hours and led to “undesirable consequences” in most parts of the CBD.

“As part of plans to unclog the metro from a string of lawless taxi operations, minibus taxi bays would be implemented to achieve a clean, decongested and crime-free Tshwane,” she said.

She said the plan would be achieved through an agreement with various taxi associations.

Selowa said the minibus taxis that randomly parked on the road reserve and in the streets in the CBD, were being moved to dedicated holding areas to lessen traffic congestion.

She however did not say where the parking bays would be located and spread out into other areas in the inner CBD, to create smooth traffic movement.

To date, the metro has only managed to unclog the road around Tshwane House, Council Chambers and Bloed Street.

Other areas known to have taxis hogging the street lanes in the CBD are in Madiba, Thabo Sehume, Beatrix, Paul Kruger, Struben, Sisulu streets, and other areas surrounding Marabastad.

“Due to its unique physical, spatial, road network and economic characteristics, Tshwane has inadvertently experienced an influx of minibus taxis to the inner city.

“Tshwane is pleased with the progressive undertaking with the local taxi industry to form a joint committee to create a clean, decongested and crime-free Tshwane.”

She said the collaboration to decongest the inner city would be coordinated through a joint committee that met weekly and led by the TMPD.

The committee is also in conjunction with Tshwane taxi industry leadership from the Greater Tshwane regional taxi council (GTRTC) and the Tshwane Gauteng national taxi alliance (TGNTA).

“This venture is still a work in progress, streets such as Lilian Ngoyi and Bloed streets are already showing evidence of the joint efforts.”

National Taxi Alliance spokesperson Theo Malele said the taxi industry had agreed to promote traffic flow in the city.

Malele said the metro had promised to make holding bays available for taxis to park in in order to free up lanes in the CBD.

He said taxis would however operate normally for customers.

“They will still operate their routes and will be called out to load from the holding bay as and when they are demanded.”

Tshwane Santaco spokesperson McDonald Makata in May said the Tshwane taxi industry did not allow taxis in the CBD to park on the road.

He said the cars were parked on a site on Thabo Sehume Street.

Makata said the taxi peace force would ensure taxis complied.

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