Peak-hour traffic in Cape Town's Central Business District (CBD) ground to a halt on August 1, 2023, as local taxi drivers locked horns with traffic officials. The clash erupted when officials began impounding taxis in the late afternoon due to multiple bylaw violations.

Cape Town traffic authorities said vehicles were operating without a permit and drivers had outstanding arrest warrants and unpaid fines.

Tensions flared as the authorities' actions were met with fierce resistance from the taxi drivers. The situation escalated, prompting the public order police to intervene. To disperse the crowd of aggrieved taxi drivers, officers resorted to using flash bangs and rubber bullets.

The confrontation disrupted the regular flow of peak-hour traffic in and out of the Cape Town CBD for several hours.

Cape Town, 1 August 2023: Peak hour traffic came to a stand still in the Cape Town CBD as taxi drivers clashed with Cape Town traffic authorities. Traffic officials started impounding vehicles in the late afternoon for various bylaw contraventions such as an operating without a permit, warrants of arrest for drivers and outstanding fines. At one stage public order police used flash bangs and rubber bullets on the crowd of taxi drivers. The chaos held up peak hour traffic flows in and out of the Cape Town CBD for hours.