Mayor wants specific spots for taxis and vendors

Taxi drivers and street vendors should be limited to specific areas within the CBD to ease congestion, according to Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya.

This was revealed during a walkabout this past weekend in the CBD led by the mayor and supporting officials.

Moya says that the move is long overdue as congestion in CBD has been the bane of residents for many years.

“For years, residents and commuters have bemoaned the congestion in the Pretoria CBD. A resident who uses a wheelchair expressed his concern to me about his inability to use city sidewalks. Our pavements and sidewalks have been overtaken by the mushrooming of illegal informal traders who are determined to open up shop anywhere in the city. We do have dedicated trading areas, but we believe that we could provide more space,” Moya said.

The walkabout was conducted in conjunction with the metro’s Economic Development and Spatial Planning Department and the Roads and Transport Department.

The team visited various hotspots in Marabastad, Lilian Ngoyi Street and Madiba Street. The metro has been conducting weekly operations in the CBD since the start of the year under the name “Reclaim Our City”.

The operations have targeted hijacked/non-compliant buildings and businesses, undocumented persons, and illegally parked vehicles, as well as general lawlessness.

Moya wants taxis to have their own designated areas to pick up passengers to avoid the constant congestion inner city motorists are subjected to.

“In addition to informal traders, various streets in the Pretoria CBD experience higher-than-usual traffic jams, including the streets surrounding Tshwane House and Sammy Marks Square. We need additional holding spaces for taxi operators so that they are able to park their vehicles while they wait for commuters,” Moya said.

The mayor says that the lengths the city is taking are not to destroy the livelihoods of small business owners but to ensure the CBD runs smoother. The metro intends to hold further talks with taxi and vendor stakeholders once final locations are determined.

Watch here:

Congestion in the Tshwane CBD is a big issue. We want to ensure that economic activity continues but also decrease the amount of traffic congestion. We conducted a walk-about in the CBD on Friday in search of additional spaces for vendors and taxi operators. @CityTshwane pic.twitter.com/Cxi6kcziQP

— Dr Nasiphi Moya (@nasiphim) January 31, 2025

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