More than 100 Gauteng taxi drivers found operating without valid licences

More than 100 taxi drivers were found to be operating without licences during a week-long series of stop-and-search operations by the Gauteng Transport Inspectorate (GTI), in collaboration with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and other law enforcement agencies.

Between 14 and 20 September 2026, officers identified continued non-compliance among public transport operators and drivers, after discontinuing more than 60 taxis.

Non-compliance

According to the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport, 70 minibus taxis were found operating without valid licence discs, while 104 minibus taxis were found operating without valid driving licences.

Officers discontinued 69 minibus taxis after finding them unroadworthy and a safety risk to passengers and other road users.

Authorities also impounded 19 minibus taxis for failing to meet minimum road safety standards.

Unroadworthy vehicles

During the reporting period, authorities also flagged critical safety issues including defective braking systems, worn tyres, non-functional headlights and brake lights, faulty indicators and other mechanical faults that rendered the vehicles unsafe for use on public roads.

In an effort to strengthen accountability and ensure that traffic violations are addressed, GTI officers issued 850 handwritten Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) infringement notices across Gauteng.

Additionally, the Inspectorate processed 646 electronic infringement notices through its e-force devices.

Arrests

The Inspectorate also made arrests, including three individuals for bribery and two for contravention of the Immigration Act.

The Gauteng MEC for roads and transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, reiterated that discontinuing and impounding unroadworthy vehicles is not merely an enforcement measure.

“We see it as a necessary intervention to protect the lives of commuters and all road users.”

Zero tolerance

The MEC further warned that the department would not tolerate drivers who continue to operate without valid driving licences or taxis operating without valid licence discs.

“Driving without a valid driver’s licence or driving an unlicensed public transport vehicle is against the law.”

“Those who continue to disregard the law are putting the lives of passengers and other road users at risk,” she said.

MEC’s warning

Diale-Tlabela said the continued operation of unlicensed drivers and non-compliant public transport vehicles poses an unacceptable risk to passengers and other road users, adding that engagements with the minibus taxi industry would continue until this trend ends.

The MEC concluded by stating that enforcement operations will continue to remove non-compliant drivers and vehicles from public roads.