Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, says authorities have arrested 34 undocumented foreign nationals allegedly operating businesses illegally during a law enforcement operation targeting illegal bus ranks in the Johannesburg CBD on Friday.
The operation forms part of the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport’s intensified road safety campaign aimed at clamping down on unlawful transport activities and restoring order within the public transport sector.
Diale-Tlabela said the raids are focused on illegal bus operations, unregulated businesses, and transport-related criminality that pose risks to commuters and other road users.
“We are here for public compliance. This involves cross-border buses. The team impounded some of the buses that were not compliant,” she said.
The MEC added that the department plans to conduct similar operations regularly as part of efforts to improve compliance with transport regulations and ensure safer commuting conditions in Gauteng.
“I want similar raids regularly. We will be engaging with the City of Johannesburg MMC for Public Safety to look at how often we can do this,” she said.
Sithembiso Hlatswayo, City of Johannesburg MMC for Public Safety, welcomed the operation, saying the provincial government had responded positively to the city’s request for intervention.
“There are many foreign nationals who do not have documents and buses that are not compliant. We want to shut them down,” he said.
“If it were up to me, we would conduct these raids every day because motorists can hardly pass through Kerk and Nugget Streets. They block the roads and residents continue to complain.”
The City of Johannesburg said the campaign is also intended to stabilise the transport sector, which in recent years has faced challenges linked to illegal operators, unroadworthy vehicles, and disputes over operating routes in parts of Johannesburg and surrounding areas.
Authorities have increasingly raised concerns over illegal bus ranks operating in and around the Johannesburg CBD, saying some operators function without the required permits, evade safety inspections, and contribute to congestion and lawlessness in the city centre.
The Gauteng government has intensified road safety and law enforcement operations in recent months as part of broader efforts to improve public transport safety, reduce traffic violations, and enforce compliance across the province’s transport network.
