26 July 2006.
More than 200 North West taxi operators receive their new Operating Licences
(OLs) on the third day of the roll-out campaign that ends on 19 August
2006.
North West Operating Licensing Board today (Wednesday) stepped up the pace in
its roll-out campaign to process and distribute to more than 14 000 taxi
operators, new Operating Licenses (OLs) that replace the old taxi
permits.
In total, 14 006 North West-based taxi operators applied for conversion from
permit licenses to OLs by 31 May 2006.
OLs are one of several requirements of Governmentâs Taxi Recapitalisation
Programme (Recap). By midday, 229 taxi operators from taxi associations
affiliated to the provincial parent body, North West Province Taxi Council,
were handed original copies of their new-look, route-based OLs by officials of
the provincial Operating Licensing Board.
This is indeed a remarkable achievement for our taxi industry. The Operating
Licensing Board staff must also be commended for processing so many
applications with correct details in such a short space of time.
This entire process has once again confirmed that North West taxi industry
has embraced and is ready for taxi Recap. We remain one of the leading
provinces to have a met most of the requirements for the roll out of Recap.
While other provinces continue to struggle with conversions we are indeed a
mile ahead and remain optimistic that before the end of August, all operators
who applied for conversions by 31 May will have their OLs.
The OLs roll-out moved into third gear in Mafikeng today, with 86 taxi
operators from two taxi associations in the Western Region (Vryburg) converging
onto the Embassy Hall, Mafikeng, to receive their OLs. 60 taxi operators were
from Comathatha Taxi Association while 26 were affiliates of Segonyane Taxi
Association.
On Monday 65 operators from Vryburg Taxi Association were issued with their
OLs while 78 from Itekeng, Lekwa-Teemaneng, Schweizer-Reneke and Kagisano we
handed theirs on Tuesday.
The roll-out to issue OLs to operators in our system from the five regions
of the province, Bophirima, Central, Southern, Eastern and Northern, will be
completed by 19 August.
Enquiries:
Matshube Mfoloe
Director: Communication
Cell: 082 305 4594
Issued by: Department of Safety, Roads and Transport, North West Provincial
Government
24 July 2006
Source: North West Provincial Government (http//www.nwpg.gov.za)
