Andrew Brace, Table View
Taxis. Love them or hate them they are here to stay. When the MyCiTi was first being established, we were told that the taxis and Golden Arrow buses would be a thing of the past, only that time has come and gone.
As past chairman of the community police forum, I attended meeting after meeting with all role-players and heard the same stories time after time. If the City of Cape Town knew they would never be able to uphold their promises, why didn't they establish places for Golden Arrows and the taxis to pull over on the side of the road where they wouldn't hold up the traffic for others, especially during peak hours.
Being a resident of Table View for nearly 50 years, I know that we are not all bad mannered or discourteous and we would let them gradually flow back into the traffic. I see this every morning at Boy de Goede Circle.
Instead, we have reckless taxis mounting the pavements forcing pedestrians to jump out of the way, tearing down the MyCiTi lanes and cutting people off when they try and re-enter Blaauwberg Road, and the list can go on. In the Waterfront and Century City, this is not tolerated. The taxis do not litter or drive improperly. Why? Because they know that they will not be allowed back in the area as it is well policed.
In Table View, we pay rates and taxes for exactly the same reason. How often have I seen Traffic, Metro or Law-Enforcement patrolling during peak hours when this happens? Yes, they do their roadblocks in Potsdam Road from time to time, but I have rarely seen them during peak hours when it would make a difference to the flow of traffic.
With the technology available, photographs (with date and time stamps) of the offenders could be sent to officers waiting at the end of Blaauwberg Road immediately and the driver pulled over with a clear picture of his offence. This can be done in conjunction with static members of the excellent neighbourhood watch in Table View. Simple but effective. Once they see that the community are involved their mindset will change along with their behaviour. All it takes is one vehicle, two traffic members and volunteers.
• City of Cape Town’s Traffic Service spokeswoman Maxine Bezuidenhout responds: The City’s Traffic Service has conducted patrols and public transport operations along Blaauwberg Road as well as the greater Table View area, with the focus being on illegal public transport operators.
In 2022, a total of 2 109 fines were issued for various transgressions, while 51 public transport vehicles were impounded for operating contrary to the conditions of their operating licences, or for operating without an operating licence.
The Traffic Service will continue with ad-hoc patrols, enforcement and operations in the area in 2023 and beyond.
However, we do want to reiterate the point that the Traffic Service has many demands on its resources and therefore it is not practical nor possible to maintain a constant presence in any one area.
The public is encouraged to report any transgressions or incidents to the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre at 021 480 7700 from a cellphone or 107 from a landline.