Commuters prefer ‘moving’ taxis
Despite the Westgate taxi rank costing millions, makeshift taxi ranks remain a reality.
The Westgate Dorljota taxi rank understands Roodepoort commuters.
This was the general consensus when Jabulani Hlatshwayo, one of the rank marshalls, commented on taxis operating outside of the rank. Recently the record investigated an illegal makeshift rank at the intersection of Ontdekkers Road and Crane Avenue in Horison Park. From the investigation and subsequent report the following questions came to the fore: Why don’t these taxis make use of surrounding ranks? Is the taxi rank effective if taxis operate from outside of it? The Westgate taxi rank opened in January last year after Westgate Shopping Centre management spent R6,2 million on converting a parking lot for that purpose.
“We want our drivers to do things in an orderly fashion, that’s why this rank exists,” says Hlatshwayo.
“Unfortunately we can’t stop other associations’ taxis from going about things illegally on the main road. Taxi drivers tend to follow the people; we understand our commuters.
“People don’t want to come to the rank and see the taxis they wish to catch not moving – then they still have to wait for them. They prefer taxis that are already on the move.”
Hlatshwayo says illegal operations outside of the rank interrupt their business and sometimes are corrupt.
“Here at the rank things are organised; we can see what’s going on.”
The Westgate central management marketing team comprising Dean Campbell and Gayle Tshabalala were not surprised when they heard about taxis operating outside of the rank.
“That does happen and probably always will happen,” says Campbell.
“It is understandable that most people prefer using taxis that are already on the road since it saves them the time they would have spent queuing.
“People also don’t want to walk to the taxi rank from one side of the shopping centre to the other. They’d rather catch a taxi on Ontdekkers Road,” says Tshabalala.
