Mmatshikhidi Rebecca Phala, national spokesperson for the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) said taxi patrollers will be visible countrywide working closely with law enforcement to oversee safe driving conditions by all taxi drivers, oversee road stoppages and compliance by taxis, drivers, and commuters.

“Much more heightened work will be on the N1 and R101 in Limpopo because the ZCC churches will be having their Easter pilgrimages after the closures dating back to Covid-19 lockdown times which effectively means traffic volumes will be increased,” Phala said.

She added that Santaco has been visiting especially long-distance and cross-border operations taxi ranks checking for vehicle compliance and removing any vehicle found with errors including outdated licensing documentation, smooth tyres, and missed vehicle maintenance and/or servicing.

“The directive is that long-distance taxi marshals will not allow commuters to load too much luggage because that is one of the core causes of overloading in our taxis. In some of our long-distance taxi ranks, operators have decided to use trailers to ensure enough packing of luggage so commuters sit comfortably and are not submerged by heavy luggage.

“The biggest clarion call though is for everyone to try as much as possible to travel light to avoid discomfort and overloading. The patrollers who will be stationed outside of taxi ranks will be looking out for any possible overloading that may happen outside the taxi ranks and extra commuters found on a taxi will be immediately removed and returned to the rank to find a suitable seat. This will be undertaken closely with law enforcement agencies,” Phala said.

She added that taxi drivers are encouraged to take frequent rests and that taxi associations will oversee the availability of temporary drivers to help relieve the main drivers and ensure that they get time to rest in between trips.