The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) says motorists cannot give lifts to hitchhikers even if it’s family members.
This comes as several videos of taxi bosses allegedly harassing motorists who give pedestrians lifts are circulating online, especially in Mpumalanga.
SANTACO SAYS MOTORISTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GIVE HITCHHIKERS LIFTS
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Santaco chairperson in Mpumalanga Fanyana Sibanyoni said car owners aren’t allowed to give pedestrians lifts because they infringe on their rights because, as taxi operators, they are the only ones who have a permit to pick up passengers.
Sibanyoni said motorists should first stop and explain to the security guard or taxi patrollers that the individual they want to pick up is a family member, which shouldn’t be an issue.
Sibanyoni’s sentiments come as Mpumalanga motorist Themba Mahlangu said taxi patrollers took his company car and forced him to pay R2500 after he gave a lift to his neighbour.
Mahlangu said he was traveling to Nelspruit and saw her neighbor from Barberton at a spot that is 7km away from a taxi rank, and decided to give her a lift. Thereafter, two men entered his vehicle and confiscated the car keys.
“They told me they are not scared of the police. I opened a case but the police couldn’t go with me to the taxi rank. I showed them the pictures of the suspect, and they said there have been over three cases that have been opened against him at the Nelspruit police station, but he wasn’t arrested,” he explained.
Mahlangu said several motorists in Mpumalanga have complained about the harassment. However, taxi patrollers need to understand that if someone is hitchhiking, it means they are in a hurry, or they don’t have money, as some have to pay twice to get to their destinations.
POLICE WARN AGAINST GIVING LIFTS
In 2023, Mpumalanga police cautioned the public against hitchhiking and motorists giving lifts to hitchhikers following a spate of robberies in the Kinross police precinct.
The police said they could rule out the possibility that some of the robberies in Kinross were influenced by hitchhiking as reported incidents occurred near hitchhiking spots.
ARE YOU A MOTORIST OR A HITCHHIKER WHO HAS BEEN IN A SIMILAR SITUATION?
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