The City of Cape Town’s public transport interchange police have issued fines amounting to more than R2 million.
|||The City of Cape Town’s public transport interchange police, established in December, have issued fines amounting to more than R2 million for traffic and by-law offences at three of the biggest public transport hubs.
The 34-member unit is part of a city-wide drive to transform interchanges.
In December, the city also officially launched the integrated rapid transit unit to monitor IRT routes.
The city said it launched the units – with ghost squad officers also conducting surveillance at Bellville, Philippi and the CBD’s station deck – in a bid to make the interchanges safer.
The interchange unit has so far issued 4 971 fines to taxi drivers and other motorists. Another 588 fines were issued for by-law offences at the hubs.
The unit’s officers have also arrested 57 suspects.
Some of the biggest problems the unit has encountered are drug dealing, theft, selling fake goods and traffic violations.
About 70 000 commuters travel by taxis alone and pass through the three interchanges during the morning and afternoon peak. Scores more pass through the interchanges to use trains and buses.
The city also plans to have the unit work at Mitchells Plain, Wynberg, Nyanga and Claremont transport hubs in the next few months.
Bellville has so far racked up the highest rate of traffic offences – officers have issued 2 405 traffic fines, totalling just over R1m. A further 131 fines have been issued for by-law offences. And 44 people have been arrested. These figures are for between December 19 and February 19.
At Joe Gqabi, in Philippi, 1 199 traffic fines have been issued, worth R613 900. Some 164 by-law offences were recorded and five people were arrested.
At the station deck, 1 367 traffic fines were issued, worth R638 000. Officers issued 293 fines for by-law offences, worth R125 400.
JP Smith, the city’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, said the unit was part of the plan to improve conditions at interchanges.
At the same time, the city’s transport department was also planning a major upgrade to all 196 interchanges across Cape Town.
“These are our properties. They are unfriendly, unsafe spaces and certainly far from the ideal. Now we’re starting to have some positive outcomes. We are asserting ownership and gaining control of the interchanges,” said Smith.
At the station deck two weeks ago, officers had stopped a suspect.
Smith said the man was carrying a stash of packets. When approached by members of the unit, he started shoving these into this mouth.
“He was taken to central SAPS. His stomach was pumped, and he had swallowed 42 packets of tik.”
The Bellville hub has been described by Smith as being “under siege” from criminals.
Marilyn Holding, the regional law enforcement inspector for that area, said they had problems with taxi drivers parking illegally and “unruly behaviour”.
Holding said officers had been threatened at the rank.
She said drug dealing was rife. Some traders were found to be peddling illegal substances from their stalls. In these cases, their permits were revoked and cases were referred to the police.
Officers said the sale of the drug khat was a big issue. In a recent incident, officers seized 209 bunches of this drug.
Another big problem encountered by the unit has been the sale of counterfeit goods.
There has also been a move to improve the way the Bellville traders run their businesses. Demarcated bays have now been painted, allocating space to each stall. And an audit of several kiosks revealed that many did not have proper leases with the city.
Without proper drainage, most were disposing of used cooking oil in street drains. This clogged up the system and pools of dirty water were collecting around the drains.
Smith said these businesses had been served with eviction notices and were expected to vacate the interchange in the next two weeks.
bronwynne.jooste@inl.co.za - Cape Argus