By Rosina Shiko
The Gauteng Transport Inspectorate (GTI), working with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and other law-enforcement agencies, arrested 22 people and discontinued 65 unroadworthy minibus taxis during enforcement operations across Gauteng and cross-border routes in October.
The operations, conducted under the #RemoveSkorokoro campaign, targeted high-risk public transport corridors, focusing on vehicle roadworthiness, valid documentation, driver compliance and adherence to public transport regulations.
During October, GTI officers recorded 140 minibus taxis operating without valid licence discs, while 255 were found to be operating without valid driving licences.
A further 65 minibuses were discontinued after being found unroadworthy and unsafe for use on public roads.
The department said the interventions were aimed at removing unsafe vehicles from the roads and protecting passengers and other road users.
Speaking to Inside Metros, Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela’s spokesperson, Lesiba Mpya, clarified the apparent discrepancy between the 65 discontinued minibuses and the 132 discontinuation notices recorded in the department’s October statement.
He explained that the figure of 65 related to a specific metropolitan area, while the 132 notices represented the combined total across all areas where operations were conducted.
On the 16 arrests for driving under the influence (DUI), Mpya said vehicles involved in such cases were also discontinued and impounded as evidence in criminal proceedings.
Addressing the attempted bribery arrest, Mpya said the incident involved a driver who allegedly tried to bribe officers to avoid enforcement action.
He explained that officers had to establish that money had been offered or handed over before making an arrest.
“An attempted bribery is when a person coerces or uses money to try to persuade police to look the other way whilst they are unequivocally enforcing the law,” Mpya said.
“You can’t arrest a person for bribery whereas you would have not seen any money. So that process will have to happen,” he said.
Mpya also dismissed concerns that removing more than 65 taxis from routes in a month would leave commuters stranded, saying alternative transport options remained available.
He cited the province’s integrated transport network, which includes trains, bus rapid transit (BRT) services and e-hailing platforms.
He added that many taxi routes were already saturated, with the number of taxis operating exceeding the number of operating licences allocated.
“There’s always a vehicle available,” Mpya said, reiterating that the department had zero tolerance for unroadworthy vehicles.
Mpya said the department would continue removing vehicles that were not fit to transport passengers.
“No tolerance at all. So that is why we don’t even flinch when we are to take out the vehicle out of the roads that is not fitted properly to carry and transport the people,” he said.
Asked what distinguished this year’s festive season road safety plan, Mpya pointed to the #RemoveSkorokoro campaign, which targets vehicles that are not roadworthy.
He said the initiative was not merely a seasonal campaign but an ongoing road safety programme that had been implemented throughout the year.
Mpya said public awareness was also a key component, particularly given that pedestrians accounted for the highest number of road fatalities.
He said the department was intensifying communication with the public and motorists to encourage caution, promote responsible road use and improve the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
October enforcement results
GTI officers issued 3,532 handwritten Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) infringement notices across the province.
These comprised 909 in Tshwane, 872 in Ekurhuleni, 1,674 in Johannesburg, 32 in Mogale City and three in Sedibeng.
A further 28 notices were recorded in Harrismith in the Free State and 14 in North West during a multidisciplinary interprovincial operation.
An additional 3,585 electronic infringement notices were processed through the inspectorate’s e-Force devices.
These included 1,118 in Tshwane, 1,691 in Johannesburg, 705 in Ekurhuleni, 36 in Sedibeng, 18 in Mogale City and 17 in Harrismith.
The operations also resulted in 132 discontinuation notices, comprising 24 in Tshwane, 45 in Ekurhuleni and 63 in Johannesburg.
The 22 arrests comprised 16 for DUI, two for fraud, one for attempted bribery, one for possession of a stolen vehicle, one for interference and one for contravening immigration laws.
Diale-Tlabela reiterated that removing unroadworthy vehicles and taking action against non-compliant drivers remained critical to protecting commuters and other road users.
She warned that operating public transport vehicles without valid licence discs and driving without valid driving licences undermined road safety efforts and placed passengers and other road users at risk.
Diale-Tlabela said enforcement operations would continue across the province, targeting non-compliant drivers and vehicles to improve road safety and ensure adherence to traffic and public transport legislation ahead of the festive season.
INSIDE METROS
