‘The need for a strong and decisive response has never been greater’: Tourism operators on taxi patroller extortion
Private tour companies which ferry tourists to different parts of South Africa have expressed frustration over what they called unabated and increasing harassment and extortion by representatives of different taxi associations.
IOL has recently published stories where motorists accused of picking hitch-hikers are intercepted by taxi security firms and “fined” for supposedly transporting people without valid permits.
There was public outrage when a video recently went viral showing a motorist in a Chevrolet Spark in Mpumalanga being intercepted and blocked by a taxi patrol vehicle after the Spark driver had picked up a pedestrian.
Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Jackie Macie came out and condemned the attacks and harassment on motorists by taxi associations, adding that there is no law stopping anyone from picking up a hitch-hiker on the road - provided it is safe to do so.
IOL was then alerted that this endemic harassment and extortion is festering among tour operators who use bigger vehicles like the Toyota Quantum and Mercedes-Benz Sprinters to transport local and international tourists to different destinations across South Africa.
Tour operators targeted
Speaking on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals from the dreaded taxi industry, one tour operator said his bus was surrounded and R4,000 had to be paid for the vehicle to be released from irate taxi operators.
“I had a trip to Mpumalanga from Gauteng. My tourists were from different areas including Randfontein, Krugersdorp, Sandton, and Vaal. I had to go collect them at the few pick-up spots before the trip. When I got to Southgate, taxi operators stopped us and demanded money,” the tour operator said.
“The other time I was from Mpumalanga with a big bus. I had tourists from Pretoria. I requested them to go to Bosman (in Pretoria CBD) for central pick-up. The taxi operators blocked the bus and demanded me to pay R4,000.”
Another tour operator said his company was blocked from loading nine tourists from the UK as the taxi patrollers argued that “black people cannot be tourists, they must use taxis”, simply because the tourists were black.
Alternative transport had to be arranged to Diepkloof where the crew of nine dancers from the UK were later picked up by the tour operator.
In light of the increasing incidents, the Gauteng Tour Operators Association (GaTOA) has strongly condemned the ongoing abuse of motorists and other road users by the taxi industry.
Victor Sibeko, GaTOA deputy chairperson and head of public relations and marketing communications said the actions of taxi industry representatives are not only endangering the safety of motorists, but also perpetuating an atmosphere of lawlessness on the roads.
“With that said, we, as tour operators, have not been spared from this kind of harassment. Worse still, it often results in embarrassment, particularly when we have clients on board. It is important to note that our clients come from a wide range of backgrounds — both local and international — and include everyone from leisure travellers to business professionals and VIP officials.
“Such behaviour not only disrupts the experience, but also borders on extortion and represents an abuse of the role these taxi officials are meant to play. It is disheartening that harassment of this nature has persisted in our tourism industry for years, with little to no substantial action taken against the taxi bullies responsible. The need for a strong and decisive response has never been greater.”
He said South Africa must take a stand against these “ruthless and unruly elements” that tarnish the reputation of transporters.
“It all comes down to understanding the significant differences between the taxi industry and the tourism business. First, our operation is specialised and has specific requirements; we are in the tourism sector, and there is no way our services can be compared to those of taxis. Yes, we operate under Tourism Operating Licenses, which grant us the legal right to transport clients anywhere within South Africa. This is in contrast to taxi permits, I suppose they are confined to certain specifics and routes,” said Sibeko.
Taxi industry operators often confuse the nature of the tourism operators’ business with that of taxis.
“Our drivers are not only trained in tourism but some are also qualified tourist guides. In the tourism industry, key qualities such as exceptional customer service, guest relations expertise, multilingual proficiency, and strong communication skills are essential and fully integrated into our services,” said Sibeko.
"Despite the clear distinction between the roles of tour operators and taxis, there continues to be unwarranted harassment by the taxi squad towards tour operators. This ongoing situation undermines the tourism sector, and as such, we respectfully call for intervention from the powers that be.”
Call for dialogue
The Gauteng-based tour operators association is appealing for the Gauteng Tourism Authority's support in facilitating a national dialogue involving key stakeholders including Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, the national Department of Transport, the SA Police Service, the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) and other stakeholders to address and resolve this matter collaboratively.
Sibeko said the key focus and purpose of the national dialogue will include discussing the taxi harassment situation; clarify the role of tour operators; share personal experiences and concerns; identify potential solutions and strategies and collaborate on implementing immediate actions.
“We recommend a straight forward programme and agenda to address this matter themed with the prime objective to the ‘national dialogue on taxi harassment’. The prime objective of this conversation will be to create a safe space for tour operators, stakeholders, and experts to discuss this matter, identify solutions, and develop a national action plan to put an end to this scourge,” he said.
Another tour operator narrated how their vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter was intercepted.
“I was actually in our Sprinter when we were stopped. On showing them that we are a tourism business and were carrying a family, they asked for cold drinks which we refused to pay. Our drivers are also stopped by the (taxi) squad. They always say we are on their routes. Maybe we are expected to drive above the roads, as it seems they own these roads,” said the tour operator.
Disabled targeted
Another tour operator said his company was contracted by the Department of Social Development to transport seven people living with disability. However, the seven people ended up missing their flight when the taxi operators arrived at the scene and demanded a piece of the cake.
“When the driver arrived to pick up the travellers, two taxis and a taxi patrol car also arrived. I was called to the scene and I called police, but they did not help. I called the Department of Social Development but still did not get help. It was only at around 4pm when I saw the police giving the taxi representatives R500 cash,” said the businessman.
Veteran anti-crime expert, Calvin Rafadi told IOL that the taxi industry across South Africa is riddled with criminality.
Rafadi cautioned that people who dare point out wrongdoing by the taxi industry are often killed for doing so.
‘Cops fear izinkabi’
“This is one business that izinkabi (hitmen) have a big influence either directly or indirectly. That is why even our law enforcement fear them and we even experienced this lawlessness during the lockdown period, as the taxi operators often disobeyed the directives, even by the president,” said Rafadi.
“Now, if there is one organisation that is irresponsible in dealing with the taxi industry lawlessness, it is the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), as all these mitigation measures falls in their mandate and it is time they act decisively towards the taxi industry.”
IOL