The MEC for Roads and Transport in Limpopo, Pinky Kekana, engaged with members of the bus and taxi industry on 6 October 2011 to find common ground towards an improved, more effective and safer public transport system.
The meeting is the second in a range of activities scheduled to commemorate October Transport Month. The MEC and officials from her department will be travelling the length and breadth of the province to listen to peoples’ concerns and find solutions to these challenges, together.
The meeting was called by the MEC to provide a platform to address concerns and challenges in the public transport industry, and high on the agenda was the safe transport of scholars. The provincial department of education briefed the gathering on their scholar transport programme which aims to ensure that all scholars, even those from scattered and dispersed settlements, are provided with access to learning facilities. Currently, most learners in commercial farms are walking a distance of 5km and above to and from schools. The scholar transport programme is benefiting 21 319 scholars from 216 schools, spread across the province.
Public transport service providers need to meet strict criteria to be considered for the transportation of these scholars. The requirements include the registration certificates of the vehicles, certificates of roadworthiness, certified permits or operating licences, drivers licences and public driving permits. MEC Kekana has ordered that all taxis and buses on the scholar transport system must submit themselves to the nearest vehicle testing stations for safety checks.
Discussions at the meeting also centred around the taxi recapitalization programme which, since 2007, resulted in 5 800 old and possibly unsafe taxis being scrapped. MEC Kekana stressed that “the decision to recapitalize is a voluntary and business one and there is a risk attached to it. It is the duty of operators to assess the risks and future ability to fund the new vehicles before you recapitalise. The department has no way to assist you in this regard, as government is not in a position to guarantee business success to any person”.
The MEC also warned the meeting of the trade in fraudulent operating licences: “We would like to warn any public transport operator or someone wishing to enter the industry, not to buy operating licences from persons on the street. Only apply for operating licences at the offices of the department and obtain a legal receipt. This is the only way to obtain legitimate documents”.
The MEC acknowledged that operating licence renewals took as long as 3 months and that “we are planning to deal with any delayed renewals by the end of October 2011”. The MEC appealed to any operators who have problems to approach the department’s district offices to follow up on progress”.
It was noted that the department’s subsidy system is currently benefitting only bus operators. “We need to include taxi operators as well. Plans are already afoot with a pilot programme being planned in Sekhukhune. Soon, we will see the subsidy system benefitting both bus and taxi operators,” announced the MEC to a jubilant meeting.
Media contact:
Thesan Moodley
Cell: 082 902 1361
