JOHANNESBURG - Every day people get behind the wheel or climb into a taxi hoping for one thing - to make it to their destination alive.
Too often this hope is shattered by a vehicle that should never have been on the road.
From worn tyres to missing wheel nuts, unroadworthy cars and taxis have become a moving hazard for not only their driver and passengers but others on the road.
Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) spokesperson Xolani Fihla says they are forging ahead with efforts to get these vehicles off the road.
Fihla says the latest available statistics, for the 2024/2025 festive season, show approximately 16,500 vehicles were found to be unroadworthy and issued with traffic fines, with their vehicle licence discs removed.
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Additionally, 8,917 motor vehicles were impounded in areas where facilities were available.
At the heart of the JMPD enforcement is a "three-strike system, where any vehicle found with three or more defects is immediately discontinued from public roads”, he says.
Officers at roadblocks primarily look for:
Worn tyres Defective and missing lights (such as headlights, brake lights, indicators) Oil leaks Cracked windscreens Missing wheel nuts |
Fihla says these problems can result in catastrophic crashes. Cars are not the only vehicles under scrutiny.
Fihla says taxis found to be unroadworthy are impounded immediately, with the possibility of being permanently stopped from public use.
At the same time, the driver or owner is fined.
Acknowledging the vital role taxis play in daily transport for millions, Fihla says the JMPD conducts ongoing campaigns to educate taxi operators and drivers about the importance of vehicle maintenance and adherence to road safety regulations.