The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) on Thursday rolled out its Hlokomela road safety activation at Wanderers Taxi Rank next to Johannesburg’s Park Station, intensifying inspections aimed at improving vehicle roadworthiness, driver behaviour and customer care in the minibus taxi industry.
Inspections were conducted in collaboration with law enforcement, including JMPD, police and the department of transport.
Speaking at the taxi rank, Sabata Mbobo, Johannesburg Santaco spokesperson, said the activation was about sustaining the safety gains recorded during the festive season, in which taxis accounted for less than 7% of road fatalities, a figure he said still remained unacceptable.
“We are satisfied with the reduction, but our target is zero tolerance. We do not want to lose a single life on the road,” Mbobo said, adding that taxis, trucks and private vehicles were all included in the statistics, and accountability must apply to everyone.
Mbobo addressed long-standing concerns around corruption and accountability in the industry, saying bribery undermined road safety efforts.
“If I am wrong, arrest me. If you are a police officer, do not accept a bribe. That is the only way we can keep law enforcement working properly,” he said.
Hlokomela national champion, Bafana Magagula, said while compliance had improved, roadworthiness and driver behaviour remained major concerns. He said inspections included checking vehicle conditions, drivers’ professional driving permits and compliance with safety standards.
“We did better during the festive season, but better is not enough. Any number above zero is still a concern for us. We cannot gamble with lives,” Magagula said.
He said taxi operators were not always receptive to inspections but discipline was necessary.
“Not everyone understands discipline, but it must be applied equally to unroadworthy vehicles and unqualified drivers,” said Magagula.
Santaco communications representative Mmatshikhidi Phala told TimesLIVE that since the campaign’s relaunch in November, the organisation had identified worrying gaps, including mechanical defects and lack of oversight by some vehicle owners.
“We found vehicles operating with worn tyres and about 40% of taxi owners not checking the condition of their vehicles. This is reckless. Road safety requires collective responsibility from owners, drivers, commuters and law enforcement,” said Phala.
As passengers we always worry about tyres and speeding. Seeing them checking taxis gives us some peace of mind. It shows they care about our safety
— Thandi Mokoena, commuter
Taxi driver Sipho Dlamini, who operates from the Wanderers rank, said the inspections were necessary despite the inconvenience.
“Sometimes drivers complain, but honestly this is for our own good. We carry people every day. If the car is not right, anything can happen,” said Dlamini.
Commuter Thandi Mokoena, who was travelling to Mpumalanga, welcomed the activation.
“As passengers we always worry about tyres and speeding. Seeing them checking taxis gives us some peace of mind. It shows they care about our safety,” said Mokoena.
Another passenger, Mandla Khumalo, said customer care needed as much attention as roadworthiness.
“Safety is not just the car, it’s also how drivers treat people. If they respect us, we will also feel safe to speak up when something is wrong,” said Khumalo.
Santaco said the Hlokomela programme would not be a once-off event but an ongoing daily intervention, as it pushes for safer roads, improved passenger trust and zero tolerance for preventable accidents in 2026.
TimesLIVE
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