Taxi drivers were also fined for not having licences or for their vehicles having cracked windscreens.
It was a bad day for taxi drivers in Soshanguve, Tshwane, on Friday as 264 unroadworthy vehicles were taken off the road.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said the taxis were targeted in a “massive pre-dawn crackdown” involving the National Traffic Police, National Traffic Ant-Corruption Unit, Tshwane Metro Police and South African Police.
Taxis targeted in Soshanguve
The law enforcement authorities conducted checks on taxis operating in Soshanguve.
Taxis without proper permits, that were unroadworthy and that were suspected to be stolen were identified.
The drivers also faced scrutiny, with many found without driving licences and public driving permits.
“A total of 264 local taxis were removed from the road and inspected for defects and compliance with road regulations,” the RTMC said.
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Taxi drivers also received fines for cracked windscreens and expired vehicle licence discs.
“Eighteen vehicles were impounded for various defects and one driver was arrested for possession of fraudulent documents.”
The RTMC said similar operations will take place around the country ahead of the festive season.
Licence examiner arrested
Meanwhile, a 59-year-old examiner of licences from the Temba driving licence testing centre in Hammanskraal was arrested after being caught bribing an anti-corruption investigator with R50 000.
“The official was under investigation by the RTMC’s national traffic anti-corruption unit and the Hawks following allegations that he was involved in corrupt practices involving the fraudulent issuing of driving licences at the centre,” the RTMC said.
The investigators asked the official to meet them at a nearby shopping mall after obtaining an entrapment order.
The official allegedly offered a R50 000 bribe to investigators to keep their findings hidden.
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