Call on Joburg to act on illegal bus stations

The Citizen

4 days ago

The unregulated bus stations are allegedly a hub for illicit transport and undocumented immigration.
Transport sector role players have called on authorities to investigate and close illegal bus stations operating in Joburg.
African Unite Borders Bus Trucks Association chair Phumudzo Mukhwathi said yesterday there were two illegal bus stations in Braamfontein and another one near Park Station.
Frustration by long-standing inaction
'These illegal stations have been operating for a long time and the government did not even try to shut them down despite the fact that we have alerted them on several occasions,' said Mukhwathi.
He said the matter was reported to the City of Joburg and MMC for transport Kenny Kunene, 'but no action was taken'.
'Honestly, this is unfair competition because there are no rules in the illegal bus stations and we were also reliably informed that some of the buses using these stations are used to transport illegal things from South Africa to Zimbabwe,' he said.
Police response questioned
In January last year, police intercepted one of the buses ferrying a group of undocumented immigrants from Zimbabwe.
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Mukhwathi said there were allegations last year that some of the buses were using fraudulent permits and they alerted the police.
But he said they did not get feedback about the investigation.
'If the city continues to fail us, we are going to take legal action to push them to act,' he said.
Transport union promises to coordinate with city officials
South African Transport and Allied Workers Union spokesperson Amanda Tshemese said they would investigate the allegations and work with relevant authorities to address the situation.
'We will engage with the MMC as well as the mayor. It only makes sense if we can all attend to the matter,' said Tshemese.
'You can't have illegal companies or immigrants operating in South Africa when you have millions of South Africans who are unemployed.'
Illegal activity
Nozibusiso Khambule, from an organisation fighting against illegal immigrants known as the March in March Movement, said they were aware of the illegal bus stations operating in the city.
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Khambule said the operations, allegedly owned by Zimbabwean nationals, were a manifestation of the broader issue of illegal economic activities by foreign nationals 'that undermine the rule of law'.
She said the existence of illegal bus stations created an unfair competitive environment for legitimate South African and foreign-owned businesses.
'Businesses using legitimate stations pay rent and taxes, adhere to municipal bylaws and safety regulations, and contribute to the formal economy,' she said.
'Illegal operations, by contrast, bypass these costs and regulations, allowing them to offer services at artificially low prices.
'This not only siphons off revenue from legitimate operators, but also risks the safety of commuters and contributes to urban decay, congestion and lawlessness in the CBD.'
City of Joburg had not responded to questions by the time of publication.
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