Minister engages with taxi leaders
“The Department will make a concerted effort to attend to current challenges facing the entire public transport sector and in particular, the taxi industry”.
The minister of transport, Joe Maswanganyi, met with the members of the National Taxi Alliance last Thursday in response to a notice submitted to his office.
The notice informed him of their intention to embark on a protest march on 19 October 2017.
The purpose of the march is to present a memorandum of grievances in relation to issues and challenges affecting the taxi industry.
Some of the issues raised in the letter included some provisions of the National Land Transport Act, the NLTA, matters related to operations, the integrated public transport network’s BRT system as well as compensation for an operator surrendering an operating licence, the taxi recapitalisation programme and public transport subsidy.
Maswanganyi says the meetings did not go into finer details regarding the challenges facing the taxi industry, but he has committed to a follow-up meeting to address the concerns.
“During this meeting we will discuss a comprehensive way forward to determine broader interventions which will resolve challenges raised by the NTA.
“Based on this commitment, the leadership of NTA agreed to suspend the protest march planned for Thursday 19 October 2017, to give the engagement a chance.
“There is no doubt the planned march would have had a negative impact on commuters in particular and the entire country at large,” he says.
Maswanganyi says they would like to assure the taxi industry that the department is fully committed to the provision of a safe, secure, reliable and quality public transport system.
“Taxis are by far the biggest mode of choice among the majority of South African commuters.
“The mode accounts for over 68% of passengers being transported daily.
“This makes it the most important mode used mainly by the poor.
“The ability to provide a door to door service makes taxis more attractive and easily accessible.
“It is for these and related reasons that government sees the need to nurture and develop the taxi industry.
“The taxi industry contributes R40bn to the national economy annually.
“It produces more than 300 000 direct and indirect jobs.
“The Department will make a concerted effort to attend to current challenges facing the entire public transport sector and in particular, the taxi industry,” he says.
