JOHANNESBURG – After nearly two years of frustration, detours, and severe congestion, taxi drivers in Johannesburg CBD are finally breathing a sigh of relief as Lilian Ngoyi Street reopens to traffic. The street had been closed since 2023 following a devastating underground gas explosion that forced authorities to shut down the key route for reconstruction and safety inspections.
The closure had a ripple effect throughout the city’s transport sector, affecting not just taxi drivers, but also buses, delivery vehicles, and private motorists. The result was daily gridlock, longer travel times, and a significant hit to income for those in the minibus taxi industry.
For many taxi drivers, the past two years have been among the most challenging periods in recent memory. The closure of Lilian Ngoyi Street — one of the main arteries for public transport in the CBD — meant operators had to take longer, more congested routes that affected their daily trips and profits.
Ndumiso Tshabela, a Johannesburg-based taxi operator, was among the first drivers to use the newly rebuilt road when it reopened on Friday morning.
“The past two years have been really tough,” Tshabela said. “It’s better now because the traffic will flow instead of the congestion we’ve been dealing with. At least now we’ll be able to drive without much hassle. We were making money, but we were affected by the traffic delays.”
Tshabela added that the alternative routes were not designed to handle high taxi volumes, often leading to tense encounters with other road users and increased operational costs due to fuel consumption and wear-and-tear on vehicles.
Taxi Drivers Raise Concerns About New Road Layout
Despite the excitement about the reopening, some taxi drivers have raised concerns about the reduced number of lanes on Lilian Ngoyi Street. Previously a four-lane road, the new layout now features only two lanes, which drivers fear will not be sufficient to handle the volume of taxis, trucks, and private vehicles that use the road daily.
Matome Mpekwane, another long-serving taxi driver in the area, expressed mixed feelings about the reopening.
“Before the explosion, this road had four lanes. Now it only has two. We’ll have to share this narrow road with trucks and other motorists,” Mpekwane said. “It’s going to make congestion even worse in peak hours. We are glad it’s open, but this isn’t ideal for taxis.”
The concern among taxi drivers is that the new layout could lead to fresh bottlenecks, especially during morning and evening rush hours when commuter demand is at its peak.
The closure of Lilian Ngoyi Street in 2023 was a massive disruption not only for taxi drivers but also for businesses and commuters who relied on the road daily. With taxis being the backbone of public transport in Johannesburg, any interruption to their normal routes sends shockwaves across the city.
For the past two years, commuters faced extended travel times, higher fares in some areas, and even safety concerns as taxis were forced to use less familiar or less secure routes through the inner city.
Small businesses along the closed section of the street also suffered a dip in foot traffic and revenue. Now, with the road reopened, many are hoping for a return to normalcy — though some fear the reduced road capacity may continue to limit accessibility.
The City of Johannesburg has assured the public that extensive safety measures have been implemented during the reconstruction of Lilian Ngoyi Street. City engineers and safety inspectors worked on reinforcing the underground infrastructure to ensure there is no repeat of the 2023 gas explosion, which led to widespread damage and raised serious questions about underground utility maintenance.
“We understand the inconvenience the closure has caused to residents, taxi drivers, and business owners alike,” a City spokesperson said. “But public safety had to come first. The work done here aims to guarantee that an incident of this nature never occurs again.”
As Johannesburg’s CBD slowly returns to normal, the reopening of Lilian Ngoyi Street marks a major step forward for the city’s public transport ecosystem. For taxi drivers, the road’s reopening is both a relief and a fresh challenge, as they now navigate a tighter, more competitive space.
Despite concerns about lane reductions and future congestion, the general sentiment among drivers is hopeful. They’re ready to get back to doing what they do best: moving Johannesburg’s people.
The full impact of the reopening will become clearer in the weeks to come, but for now, taxi drivers are happy to have one of the city’s most important roads back in operation — and are calling on the city to continue engaging with them to ensure the road remains both functional and accessible for public transport.
Source- EWN
