Taxi bosses warned as court steps in
Staff Reporter
The Western Cape High Court has issued an interim interdict barring several taxi associations and individuals from intimidating drivers or interfering with transport services in Atlantis after violence and intimidation disrupted commuter routes used daily by residents.
The order was granted on Friday 6 March by Judge Judith Cloete.
According to the court order, the respondents and their officials, employees and drivers are interdicted from interfering with any form of public or private transport operating in Atlantis and surrounding areas, including Saxonwold and Witsand.
The application was brought by the Western Cape Government’s Department of Mobility and cites several taxi organisations as respondents, including the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA), the Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (CODETA), the Atlantis Taxi Association and the Saxonwold Local Taxi Association, along with nine named individuals.
The ruling prohibits the respondents from assaulting, threatening or intimidating drivers, operators or staff working for other transport services.
The court also barred taxi operators from running services in, to, or from Atlantis without valid operating licences, and directed taxi associations to ensure their members comply with the conditions of those licences.
The order applies to several transport nodes where incidents of interference have been reported, including the Potsdam Public Transport Interchange and taxi rank, the Atlantis CBD taxi rank, Westfleur Circle in Avondale and the Witsand informal taxi rank in the Saxonwold area.
Judge Cloete directed the taxi associations to take reasonable steps within 24 hours to ensure their members desist from unlawful conduct and to submit a written report outlining compliance measures.
The matter relating to two of the respondents has been postponed and will return to court on 20 March.
Western Cape Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku said the order reinforces the rule of law and is intended to ensure residents who rely on these routes can travel safely to work and school.