The Springs Taxi Association is dismayed that commuters are still falling prey to bogus taxi drivers in white Toyota Quantums.
One victim is Ellias Shandu, who flagged down a taxi on Industry Road on Sunday afternoon after finishing work.
“I was tired and I just wanted to go home, but I did notice the Quantum did not have a number sticker,” explained Shandu.
He boarded the taxi with two other male passengers.
“I was not suspicious of anything. Then another person tried to flag down the taxi but it didn’t stop for them. That is when I started to get worried,” he said.
Also read: Commuters targeted by robbers in a white Toyota Quantum
Shandu explained he then took out money to pay the driver.
“He said he didn’t want my money. And then the passenger behind me hit me on the head with something heavy,” he said.
Shandu was then instructed to lie down.
“One of them took my sneakers off and the other one emptied my pockets,” he said.
The robbers ordered him to open his banking app and were able to transfer almost R600.
Shandu said the driver kept driving while the two men robbed him.
“Eventually one of them said they should kill me, but the other one said ‘no’,” he explained.
Soon after that the taxi stopped and he was told to get out and run into an open field.
“I ran as fast as I could, and I did not look back. When I heard the car take off, I stopped running. Then I walked back to the road,” he added.
Also read: Quantum driver hijacked
Shandu said he soon realised he was on South Main Reef Road. He managed to get to Springs Police Station to report the incident.
“There is no other way for us to avoid these events except that people need to pay attention. The only safe place to get a taxi is at the taxi rank. Commuters must make sure the taxi has the association’s green number sticker,” said Themba Nhleko, Springs Taxi Association’s disciplinary committee chairperson.
Nhleko added that a woman was attacked in another incident.
“She took a taxi on 3rd Street and those people robbed her,” he said.
The association is committed to helping the police track down the perpetrators.
Follow us on our social media platforms:
