South Africa: Citys Moving Timebombs

Metro Police have described Cape Town taxis as "mobile timebombs" after a Cape Argus exposé found taxis with makeshift petrol tanks, exposed ignition wiring, bald tyres and worn brakes plying their trade on city routes.

Some taxis are so seriously defective that the drivers bypass major routes to avoid being nabbed by traffic authorities and having their vehicles impounded.

During an inspection of taxis at ranks on the Cape Flats and also at the City of Cape Town's centre for impounded vehicles at Ndabeni, the Cape Argus found some taxis with makeshift petrol tanks, posing a lethal fire risk.

Other defects include broken ignition systems, exposed wiring, bald tyres and brakes that are so inadequate that bricks have to be wedged under the tyres to keep parked taxis from moving.

Most are unlicensed and do not have operating permits.

Desperate commuters say they have no choice but to put their life in the hands of these dodgy operators as they have no alternative means of transport.

The revelations about the shocking state of these taxis has spurred authorities to call for a clampdown.

Eric Ntabazalila, spokesman for Transport and Public Works MEC Marius Fransman, said: "We are appalled that people are being transported in such vehicles ... they are not fit to be on our roads.

"We want to appeal to law en-forcement to hit these operators with heavy fines. We can't have people transported in such unroad- worthy vehicles, as they are dangers to everyone on the road.

"These are the types of vehicles that our recapitalisation program-me is targeting," he said.

At the Ndabeni facility, one taxi that was taken off the road at Langa in September last year was so old that the seat cushions had been worn away, the dashboard wiring was exposed and the driver was forced to connect loose wires in order to jump-start the engine.

Instead of a petrol tank, a five-litre oil can filled with petrol was placed behind the driver's seat and joined to the engine via a length of garden hose.

"These vehicles are very unsafe and they are the cause of increased accidents on the roads," said Metro Police communications head Kevin Maxwell.

"They shouldn't even be on the road. These are like timebombs.

"Placing petrol inside a vehicle is very careless and can be very dangerous, not only to the driver, but to passengers.

"If somebody, for instance, smokes in the taxi and the petrol bottle catches a spark, this can set a vehicle alight and that can have catastrophic results that will also affect other motorists," he said.

Maxwell said drivers who had unroadworthy vehicles impounded did not bother to get them released as it was expensive.

"To have your car released, you could pay up to R5 000. This includes a R1 500 fine for having an un-licensed vehicle, and if you don't have an operating permit you can also be fined R1 500," he said.

Commuter Nosethu Mvunyiswa of Mfuleni said she prayed before entering dangerous taxis because she was "desperate" for transport.

"I make a short prayer every time I get into these, because you'll never know if you're going to make it to where you're going.

"Buses are not frequent here and trains are dangerous, so if you are rushing, you are forced to take a taxi, no matter what its condition is.

"It is scary because everything about them is wrong: when it rains the roofs leak, they don't have windows and seats are falling apart. Sometimes they just stall in the middle of the road and passengers have to get out to push.

"They can also cause inconvenience, because they use detours when they avoid traffic authorities and that delays commuters," she said.

Taxi drivers argue that joblessness has forced them to ply their trade in old, unroadworthy taxis.

Eric Hlungulu of Khayelitsha owns a dilapidated taxi. He says does not have a formal job.

Hlungulu, a Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) member, operates between Nyanga and Khayelitsha and makes between R80 and R100 a day from his taxi.

The vehicle, which has all its interior wiring exposed, is not licensed and doesn't have a permit. Its front doors don't close properly and the left door doesn't have a handle. The bumper has been tied on with wire.

"This is my first and only taxi. It is not licensed and doesn't have a permit be-cause ... it's too expensive.

"I know it's risky to drive it because it's old and is not in such a good condition, but I'm making money from it. I have got three kids and a wife to support," he said.

Hlungulu says he has to dodge traffic police as he gets fined regularly.

Sandile Ladlokova, a taxi driver from Nyanga, said driving an old taxi was better than committing crime.

"This taxi keeps me away from crime ... to me this is a job, because I survive from it.

"It's not nice doing it, because commuters get abusive towards us when they get into our cars, complaining that they are very old, but what can we do? We would like to have new cars, but we can't afford them.

"We have to feed our families with what we get," he said.

Cata chairman Alfred Sipho Maseti said taxi associations could not stop drivers using old cars as they were making a living from them and "taxis are not being subsidised yet".

Maxwell said the city continued to crack down on such taxis through operations such as Operation Re-claim, aimed at executing outstanding warrants of arrests and claiming unpaid fines from defaulting motorists.

By Sipokazi Maposa
Cape Town