READ: Taxi Drivers’ Disregard for Road Rules in South Africa Raises Safety Concerns

Johannesburg, May 8, 2025 – Minibus taxi drivers in South Africa are frequently reported to disregard road rules, contributing to a high number of accidents and fatalities. This issue impacts passengers, pedestrians, and other road users, with recent data underscoring the severity of the problem.

On May 3, 2025, a tragic head-on collision on the R63 road between Adelaide and Maqoma in the Eastern Cape claimed 15 lives and left 5 injured. A minibus taxi traveling from Qonce to Cape Town crashed into an Isuzu bakkie, highlighting the deadly consequences of road rule violations.

Statistics from Arrive Alive reveal approximately 70,000 minibus taxi crashes annually, double the rate of other passenger vehicles, resulting in 3 daily fatalities. During the 2024/2025 festive season, minibuses accounted for 53% of major crashes, causing 134 deaths. In Gauteng, from 2013 to April 2016, 648 fatal taxi crashes led to 857 deaths, with 85% of pedestrian fatalities occurring in urban areas. In 2023, 38,403 minibuses were found unroadworthy, and 14,191 were unlicensed, pointing to regulatory challenges.

Speeding and overloading, driven by economic pressures to meet trip and passenger targets, are primary factors. These practices increase stopping distances and compromise vehicle safety, often exacerbated by the use of substandard brake components. Reports also indicate instances of reckless behavior, such as a 2017 case where a school taxi driver, suspected of drunk driving, crashed and injured 13 children.

The impact is widespread. Pedestrians face significant risks, with urban areas seeing the majority of taxi-related deaths. Other drivers and cyclists are also affected, with head-on and rollover crashes common. The 2023 Transport Statistics Bulletin noted 45.1% pedestrian and 27.2% passenger fatalities in taxi-related incidents.

Authorities have responded with measures like the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme, offering scrapping allowances to replace ageing vehicles, and intensified festive season roadblocks, with over 997 conducted in 2024/2025. However, the persistence of accidents suggests these efforts need strengthening.

Stricter enforcement, improved driver training, and addressing economic pressures on taxi operators are critical to reducing the human toll. Collaborative action among authorities, operators, and the public is essential to ensure safer roads for all South Africans.