Gauteng inspectors stop more than 100 taxi drivers for lacking valid licences

More than 100 minibus taxi drivers in Gauteng were found to be operating without valid driving licences during a week-long enforcement operation, officials said.

What happened and when

The Gauteng Transport Inspectorate (GTI), working with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and other law enforcement agencies, conducted stop-and-search operations between 14 and 20 September 2026. The operations identified continued non-compliance among public transport operators and drivers.

Key findings

According to the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport, officers found:

• 70 minibus taxis operating without valid licence discs;
• 104 minibus taxis operating without valid driving licences;
• 69 minibus taxis discontinued after being deemed unroadworthy and a safety risk;
• 19 minibus taxis impounded for failing to meet minimum road safety standards.

Vehicle safety issues and enforcement actions

Inspectors flagged critical safety defects including defective braking systems, worn tyres, non-functional headlights and brake lights, faulty indicators and other mechanical faults that rendered vehicles unsafe for use on public roads.

To strengthen accountability, GTI officers issued 850 handwritten Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) infringement notices and processed 646 electronic infringement notices through e-force devices.

Arrests and warnings from the MEC

The Inspectorate made arrests during the operation: three individuals for bribery and two for contravention of the Immigration Act.

Gauteng MEC for roads and transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, said discontinuing and impounding unroadworthy vehicles is a necessary intervention to protect commuters and other road users. She warned the department would not tolerate drivers who continue to operate without valid driving licences or taxis operating without valid licence discs.

“Driving without a valid driver’s licence or driving an unlicensed public transport vehicle is against the law.”

“Those who continue to disregard the law are putting the lives of passengers and other road users at risk,”

Ongoing enforcement

Diale-Tlabela said engagements with the minibus taxi industry would continue and that enforcement operations will persist to remove non-compliant drivers and vehicles from public roads.