Radebe, MP, Minister of Transport, Erica Stadium, Belhar, Western Cape
15 February 2007
Programme Director,
Premier Ebrahim Rasool,
MEC of Transport, Marius Fransman
MEC of Community Safety, Leonard Ramatlakane,
Representatives of the Taxi Industry,
Distinguished guests,
Members of the media,
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Taxi Recapitalisation Programme (TRP) is coming a long way and is going
ahead. Today we are here to witness the scrapping of old and unroadworthy taxi
vehicles and introducing the new taxi vehicles approved by the South African
National Standards.
This is part of government's commitment to implement the Taxi
Recapitalisation Programme, to improve public transport and make it much easier
for South African commuters to travel to their places of need. The TRP is not a
stand-alone public transport project, but is linked to the development of
Integrated Transport Plans (ITPs) at provincial and local level, ensuring that
the taxi industry will participate in the overall subsidised network of public
transport provision through structured contracts.
Although a large number of commuters rely on taxis to get to and from work
each day, a large number complain vigorously about the attitudes of some taxi
drivers, their safety, their comfort and the high costs of taxi fares. The TRP
is aimed at addressing these challenges. It is encouraging that about 300 taxi
operators in this province have applied to scrap their old taxi vehicles. Forty
of these operators have plans to venture into other businesses.
The Western Cape Operating Licensing Board approved 7 873 applications for
conversions. However 408 taxi operators need to collect their operating
licences from the Board. The operating License Board has performed very well in
processing the conversions. Only 111 applications were not approved. This
progress is an indication of the Western Cape Taxi Industry's support for the
Taxi Recap.
Nationally there is overwhelming support for ensuring legal operations and
98 000 applications for conversion have been processed. Effective transport
systems and infrastructure are critical in increasing the rate of investment in
the First Economy and reducing the cost of doing business. We are therefore
determined to move earnestly with many initiatives that form part of a
comprehensive public transport strategy in all modes of transport to improve
the lives of all people.
With regard to TRP most of you are aware that it took government,
manufacturers, financial institutions and the taxi industry years of
negotiations to be where we are today. I must applaud the efforts of all those
who are heeding our call to provide our people with safer, affordable, reliable
and sustainable public transport. My sincere appreciation goes to all my
provincial colleagues, MECs for Transport, Roads and Community Safety in all
nine provinces for their commitment to the Taxi Recap Programme.
The prevention and reduction of accidents through the removal of old and
unroadworthy taxi vehicles is one of the most important aspects of the TRP. My
department has developed the Public Transport Strategy, which is aimed at
accelerating the improvement of public transport. The Taxi Recap Project is
aligned to the strategy and is linked to the Transport Plans of municipalities.
Government is also taking the initiative to transform the bus subsidy system so
that public transport is subsidised based on services irrespective of whether
it is taxi or bus services.
I must stress that the taxi industry also needs to get their house in order
and improve their services by offering adequate services, by improving driver
attitude towards customers and other road users and to make sure that their
vehicles are maintained regularly. All these aspects will improve patronage and
will attract new users. But the taxi industry should consider themselves part
of the public transport family and work closely with government, the rail
sector and bus industry to make public transport a success.
To date over 1 000 old taxi vehicles have been scrapped and the scrapping
allowances paid over to the owners. The Scrapping Agency appointed to run the
scrapping process is inundated with applications on a daily basis and R50
million in scrapping allowances has been paid to date with 658 applications
amounting to R32 million being processed. Government has committed R7,7 billion
for the TRP so that taxis that transport commuters are safe, roadworthy and
legally entitled to do so.
The taxi industry transports more than 65% of our commuters to and from work
everyday and the taxi industry must ensure that these services can be provided
with ease. We are therefore determined to make sure that the lives of all
commuters are in safe hands through the provision of safer taxis. It is
encouraging to note that provinces are moving ahead as planned with the
scrapping of old taxi vehicles.
Last year on 28 October we scrapped old taxi vehicles and launched new ones
in the Free State province. This was followed by KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape,
Northern Cape and today we are here in the Western Cape. Next week we are
heading for the Limpopo province. I am glad that operators are positively
responding to the government's call of ensuring that the lives of commuters are
safe by purchasing the New Taxi Vehicles. I must also stress and reiterate what
President Mbeki said last week in the State of the Nation Address that
government will not be bullied into abandoning the TRP.
No amount of intimidation will stop the TRP from forging ahead. Government
will continue to engage with issues of the TRP through the South African
National Taxi Association Council (SANTACO) as an umbrella body of the Taxi
Industry. I want to urge the Taxi Industry in its entirety to participate in
SANTACO structures and ensure that this participation is taken to greater
heights. I would like to say to the Premier, today your province is endorsing a
new chapter in the history of the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme.
As all provinces are making inroads into this programme, I urge all MECs to
keep our commitment of ensuring that we recapitalise 90% of the old taxis by
2010. Most of you could be aware that manufacturers have been hard at work to
show that they are also dedicated to the implementation of the TRP. To address
this they are making sure that the industry will never run out of the New Taxi
Vehicles. Operators have various categories of taxis to choose from.
The following vehicles have been certified by the South African National
Standards: Under the minibus category: Toyota Quantum (14 seater) Nissan
Interstar (15 seater) Fiat Ducao (15 seater) Mercedes Benz 308 CDI (16 seater)
Peugeot Boxer HDI (16 seater). Under the midi-bus category: Mercedes Benz (22
seater) Marcopolo Volare Short Wheel Base A8 (22seater) Iveco 50C14V15 (22
seater), Marcopolo Volare Long Wheel Base A8 (26 seater), Isuzu NQR 500 (35
seater). This list of taxis has different prices that operators can choose
from.
We appreciate and thank the work being done by the manufacturers to provide
taxis with compliant safety requirements. I am impressed by the Western Cape
province's shaping of its transport systems as it gears up to face the demands
of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and beyond. The public transport challenges in this
province are huge and unique given the realities that the province is vast with
huge infrastructural backlogs. This province has always been performing well
when it comes to pursuing the agenda for the transformation of the taxi
industry.
The enthusiasm on the part of the industry to participate in the
Recapitalisation Programme is supported by the fact that most operators have
submitted applications to have their permits converted into operating licences,
as is a prerequisite for operators to participate in the TRP. In conclusion our
government doors are open for constructive engagement with the industry.
Government is embarking on the TRP for the sake of safeguarding its people
from accidents and reduce the cost to the economy and not to promote the
interests of various divided factions in the taxi industry. The TRP will go
ahead as planned and I call upon all South Africans to support this programme
with dedication and determination.
I thank you!
Issued by: Department of Transport
15 February 2007
Source: SAPA
