A group of individuals claiming to represent taxi owners has reportedly been forcefully removing passengers from private vehicles and compelling them to use minibus taxis instead. North West community safety and transport management MEC Wessels Morweng has called on law enforcement agencies to act decisively against those behind these unlawful acts, describing them as criminal and unconstitutional.

“I have heard about one incident in Brits that started on Sunday, though our Provincial Regulatory Entity managed to deal with it. I am cautioning others to refrain from that. 

“It’s illegal and we won’t tolerate that,” said Morweng. The incident in question reportedly occurred this past Sunday between Brits and Letlhabile, where a group of individuals was stopping private vehicles and targeting passengers.

“According to the information received, a group of people were stopping cars and wherever they found passengers, they forcefully removed them and placed them in taxis,” said departmental spokesperson Charles Matlou.

Meanwhile, Morweng urged victims of such acts to report these crimes to the police. “Those who experienced that treatment must also open criminal cases at the nearest police stations, as those actions are pure criminality.

High alert

“We are a constitutional country, not a banana republic where everybody must just wake up and infringe on somebody’s constitutional rights.”

Matlou confirmed the provincial regulatory entity is actively monitoring other roads for similar occurrences. Traffic officers are currently on high alert and are working to ensure the safety of both private vehicle owners and commuters.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh