- A report claims that taxi drivers are defying lockdown laws banning interprovincial travel
- With heavy policing on all major routes, both operators and passengers are reportedly taking chances
- Citizens are allegedly leaving Gauteng to provinces with lower Covid-19 infection rates
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Taxi drivers have reportedly opted to defy the lockdown law concerning inter-provincial travel and started ferrying citizens to other parts of the country.
This is according to SowetanLIVE, which followed the journey of a taxi headed from Ekhurhuleni to Thulamahashe in Mpumalanga.
The report indicated that back routes were used to avoid numerous police roadblocks on the major routes, with numerous passengers reportedly travelling without the needed permits to leave their province.
Rank marshal France Manana spoke to the publication, saying that passengers opted to take 'chances' despite the risk of getting caught.
Mpumalanga, Cape Town and even Swaziland were listed as popular routes for citizens seeking to leave Gauteng.
Taxis at a Gauteng rank
Source: Twitter
READ ALSO: Covid-19: Taxi with 22 passengers busted trying to sneak into Gauteng
Commenting on the situation, Johanesburg Metro Police Department spokesperson Wayne Minnaar explained that the department was monitoring the N1 and the N3. The N4 to Mpumalanga is not in the JMPD's jurisdiction.
Minnaar explained that the department was awaiting further instructions over what charges offenders will face:
"Taxis must carry 70% of its load or taxis get stopped and adjusted immediately before continuing their trips. We are awaiting charge schedules, that are being formulated, for officers to charge offenders that are contravening lockdown regulations."
However, this has been taking place for some time already, with reports of violations as early as Level 5 of the Covid-19 lockdown.
Briefly.co.za reported that a taxi had been discovered travelling from Limpopo to Gauteng using back routes and loaded with mostly minors.
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