Dear Mayor Hill-Lewis,
Following the recent Somerset West Public Transport Interchange (PTI) protest and potential violence that followed, because of the disagreement between taxi associations Cata and Codeta, we have decided to contact you. As residents concerned about our safety we will not repeat the incidents, as you should be aware of what is currently happening there.
The area adjacent to the taxi rank comprises private property, a primary school, four churches, six retirement and elderly-care facilities and a business complex.
The vulnerable elderly, who frequent the shopping area, and school learners are especially at risk with these gun-toting and knife-wielding taxi operators.
The area, bounded by Andries Pretorius, Lourens, Reitz, Church and Hunter streets, is situated in the Somerset West CBD, where businesses are negatively impacted by the dastardly actions of these taxi operators. All of the above are in grave danger from their actions.
You and your administration are well aware of the dangers and destruction to communities in South Africa wrought by these taxi drivers, however necessary and cost-effective their mode of transport.
The regulations for taxi operations have proven hopelessly inadequate for ensuring reliable and safe transport to those in need of such service and should urgently be revisited and that proper measures should be implemented to curb the threat to society taxi operations are turning out to be.
As a community group, on behalf of all residents and patrons, we urge your administration to consider removing the taxi holding area at the Somerset West PTI, providing a more suitable site away from the CBD and its surrounding area.
Also, the PTI should serve merely as a drop-off and pick-up (drivethrough) point. This will lessen the danger to members of the public in the CBD area as well as the above-mentioned community in the event of future clashes among taxi operators.
However the City of Cape Town perceives the situation, this is only the beginning of a trend of disruption, destruction and violence from these taxi operators.
From the outset of this PTI project the Lourens Street Community Group, at a meeting with ward councillor Norman McFarlane and PTI project management, predicted everything that occurred over these past weeks, that this would be the outcome!
Mr Mayor, this issue is in your hands now. Do the right thing and save the community in question from endless harm and despair and ensure the overall safety of the people of Somerset West.
Lourens Street Community Group,
EMAIL
Kevin Jacobs, spokesperson for the City’s Traffic Services, responds: “The City’s Transport Enforcement Unit within the Traffic Services conducts regular enforcement patrols around the PTI area.
“A number of patrols in the area in recent months has yielded results: 6 March 2025 – 112 fines issued; 4 April 2025 – 192 fines issued and four taxis impounded; 12 May 2025 – 106 fines issued, 15 members of the public assisted, 16 suspects searched and 13 complaints attended to; and 5 June 2025 – 198 fines issued and nine taxis impounded.
“Given the sheer number of vehicles on the roads the size of the metropole and the many demands on the Traffic Services it is simply not possible to be visible all the time.
“Residents can register complaints by contacting the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre on 021 480 7700 from a cellphone and 107 from a landline.
“Criminal matters should be referred to the South African Police Service.”
