A taxi operator said his bus carrying tourists was blocked by taxi operators who demanded that he pays R4,000 and the bus was only released after the money was paid.
‘The need for a strong and decisive response has never been greater’: Tourism operators on taxi patroller extortion
IOL was then alerted that this endemic harassment and extortion is festering among tour operators who use bigger vehicles like the Toyota Quantum and Mercedes-Benz Sprinters to transport local and international tourists to different destinations across South Africa. Another tour operator said his company was blocked from loading nine tourists from the UK as the taxi patrollers argued that “black people cannot be tourists, they must use taxis”, simply because the tourists were black.
Victor Sibeko, GaTOA deputy chairperson and head of public relations and marketing communications said the actions of taxi industry representatives are not only endangering the safety of motorists, but also perpetuating an atmosphere of lawlessness on the roads. “It all comes down to understanding the significant differences between the taxi industry and the tourism business. First, our operation is specialised and has specific requirements; we are in the tourism sector, and there is no way our services can be compared to those of taxis. Yes, we operate under Tourism Operating Licenses, which grant us the legal right to transport clients anywhere within South Africa.
Tourism Business Council Of South Africa Sa Tourism Department Of Transport Social Development Department Road Traffic Management Corporation (Rtmc) Provincial Government South Africa Gauteng Mpumalanga Minister Of Transport Panyaza Lesufi Crime And Courts Violence Corruption Tourism Taxi Violence Taxis Public Transport Extortion Safety Road Safety
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