Johannesburg - Johannesburg's traffic police on Monday launched an operation to deal with illegal public transport operators in the city centre.
The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department impounded eight Quantums and four busses on the corner of Harrison and Leyds Street, for offences including illegal parking, obstructing traffic, loading passengers at an illegal loading zone and operating without a valid permit for cross border transportation.
According to the City of Johannesburg, complaints were received by various stakeholders in the city centre about the increasing number of traffic violations.
The complaints were mainly regarding illegal parking at intersections, congestion in certain parts of the city and the general disregard of the traffic regulations by the cross border transport operators in the inner city.
The Johannesburg Metro Police said they would continue to deal swiftly with incidents which may lead to crime in the inner city.
"The operation is to continue until illegal cross border transport operators are removed from the street of Johannesburg," said the City of Johannesburg.
Earlier this year, police launched Operation Nomakanjani, to clamp down on motorists who skip red traffic lights or stop signs, change lanes on solid white lines and talk on their cell phones. The operation was mainly focussed in the city centre.
Instead of merely fining motorists, the police arrested drivers on the spot and take them to a police station to be charged. They were forced to pay a R2000 bail as well as R600 for the release of their vehicle.
