Santaco halts operations in Ekurhuleni, commuters left stranded

Taxi commuters in different parts of Ekurhuleni such as Germiston and Katlehong are without transport until further notice following taxi association Santaco’s halting of their operations in the area.

The taxi association is not happy with the impounding of vehicles by officials.

The minibus taxi body has urged government to urgently engage with the taxi industry to resolve the matter and ensure equitable and lawful enforcement practices across all modes of public transport.

Santaco officials say their member are fined up to R5000 to release their vehicles which is crippling their businesses as the fault is on the government’s side by not issuing permits.

“This difficult decision stems from the ongoing impoundment of vehicles, particularly the 10-seater ‘baby buses’, which are consistently being targeted for not having operating licenses. These licenses, however, are no longer being issued by the relevant authorities. What is particularly concerning is the selective enforcement of the law. While our operators face daily harassment and financial penalties, 7-seater vehicles, often operating through e-hailing platforms or informal transport services, continue to operate freely without the required permits,” says Santaco official.