Taxi operators harass passengers at SA airports

TRAVEL industry
professionals have
expressed concern over
the safety of their travellers
at South Africa’s airports after
reports of intimidation by taxi
service agents have come to
light.
“I had a client who came
in from another country,” an
anonymous source told TNW.
“She walked up to the taxi
driver who was holding her
name card. He then took the
bags out of her hands, put
them in his taxi and drove off
before she got into the car.
“It even happened to me,”
she said. “I walked out of the
airport and someone tried
to insist that I use his taxi
service. He made continuous
attempts to take my bags out
of my hands and put them in
his car.
“It got to the point where
I had to ask him why he
was not listening to me and
demand that he let go of my
bags.”
Acsa is aware of the
reported incidents, says head
of security, Jason Tshabalala.
“We view any intimidation of
both local and international
travellers in a very serious
light.”
Jason says Acsa cannot
confirm whether the
perpetrators are licensed
operators. “While the
airports company has a
list of accredited metered
taxi operators who are
authorised with the relevant
airport permits to pick up
and drop people off at the
airport, we cannot at this
stage conclusively say that it
is indeed the unauthorised
taxi operators who harass
passengers as there is also
the issue of vagrants in the
airport precinct, amongst other
elements, that the security
cluster is working to root out.”
He says Acsa’s security
cluster, which is made up of
SAPS Intelligence, Ekurhuleni
Metro Police Department and
various other stakeholders,
is dealing with a number of
factors that may have possibly
led to the harassment of
passengers.
“For instance, the Gauteng
Traffic Inspectorate impounded
52 vehicles belonging to
illegal taxi operators within
the airport precinct during a
sting operation earlier this
year,” says Jason. “Similarly,
Ekurhuleni Metro Police’s
‘bridge and roadway clean
up’ operation resulted in the
removal of illegal vagrants
with several items suspected
to have been stolen from
passengers being recovered.”
Any metered taxi operators
who need to pick up
customers are required
to obtain the necessary
authorisation to do so in
advance from Acsa’s security
department and failure to
do so is a violation of the
airport security policy,” says
Jason. He adds that the
company has partnered with
other stakeholders to map
out and implement strategies
to combat and reduce safety
and security incidents. “For
instance, Acsa’s security
division carried out Operation
Fiela in partnership with SAPS
Crime Intelligence, SAPS
Border Police, SARS Customs,
Department of Home Affairs
– Immigration Services and
State Security Agency.”
Some of the successes
achieved include the removal
of illegal vagrants in and
around airports with recovery
of several items suspected
to have been stolen from
passengers, says Jason.