A very good afternoon and welcome to you all. Today's media briefing is primarily about two issues. The first is the illegal taxi conversions and the second is the National Joint Working Group on Public Transport.
Illegal taxi conversions
Following recent media reports that illegally converted panel vans which do not meet government's safety standards were being operated as minibus-taxis, we in the Department of Transport, immediately, initiated an investigation into this matter.
We must emphasise that our initial investigations revealed that approximately 1 070 illegally converted panel vans, and not 4 000 as reported by some media, were operating as minibus-taxis for reward. These illegal taxis are being operated in contravention of the National Land Transport Transition Act (NLTTA). These panel vans, which have been converted illegally, are a danger to the community, the nation as well as the commuter, who is our most important client in public transport.
In the event of a road crash, the damage and severity of injury, in the case of these illegal panel vans transporting commuters, is far more severe when compared to a minibus taxi, which complies with the prescribed safety regulations.
As government, we want to re-iterate that one life lost on our roads is one too many. Therefore, unsafe and un-roadworthy vehicles cannot, and will not, be allowed on the roads. In the case of these illegally converted panel vans being operated as minibus-taxis, we are calling for the withdrawal of the Operating Licences and the recall of all affected vehicles with immediate effect.
We are, however, continuing our engagement with the taxi industry and all other stakeholders in this regard. We commend SA Taxi Finance for its commitment towards investing about R20 million to try and rectify the situation with regards to non-compliant taxis it had financed. We will also be meeting with other financial institutions and key vehicle manufacturers to ensure that their vehicles are legal. We also call upon any organisation or individual who may have any information that may assist the Department in its investigation to please come forward with such information.
Our probe includes the following:
* The validity of claims that illegally converted vehicles entered the system through the Operating Licensing Board.
* The number of illegally converted vehicles operating as taxis.
* The number of illegal taxis that have been financed.
The conditions of the Operating Licence are very clear. One of these conditions is that an Operating Licence, for recapitalisation purposes, must be attached to the vehicle and that such vehicle must meet the safety requirements as per the regulations.
We also wish to advise that the Department of Transport, through the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS), produces a Taxi Recapitalisation Compliance List that is published periodically. This is the only legal notice that lists compliant vehicles as well as compliant vehicle manufacturers, importers and builders (MIBs). Our responsibility, as government, is to provide our commuters with safe, effective, reliable, affordable and accessible public transport. Safety is a key priority of the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme and we will, therefore, intensify our efforts on illegal public transport operators and operations. To this end:
We have no moratorium on the application of the law to the letter. Our law enforcement authorities will ensure that if they encounter any illegality on our roads, they deal with it. This includes drunk driving, speeding and any one found driving an un-roadworthy vehicle. Our enforcement drives continues unabated.
Those operating non-compliant public transport vehicles will have to face the consequences of their actions. In this regard, any person found guilty of an offence, be it a government official or member of the public, and will face the full might of the law.
Our enforcement agencies have already pulled numerous illegal vehicles off the road. As investigations continue, more and more of these vehicles will be taken off the road. The SABS will be intensifying its investigation into illegal vehicle conversions, and once the Inspectorate of MIBs (Manufacturers, Importers and Builders) discovers that an MIB is performing such conversions, such MIB will be immediately suspended.
The department will conduct an investigation of all dealers who changed the status of vehicles from panel vans to passenger carrying vehicles. The department will, with immediate effect, block all transactions relating to panel vans.
The National Joint Working Group on Public Transport
With regards to the second issue, the national Joint Working Group on Public Transport (NJWG), as you are all aware, President Jacob Zuma told the taxi industry in April to defer negotiations on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system until after the elections.
During the State of the Nation Address, President Zuma said the Minister of Transport would resume discussions with the industry by 11 June 2009. Indeed, on 11 June 2009 we met over 2 000 representatives of the industry made up of taxi associations and their organised structures nationally. Prior to that, we held fruitful discussions with leaders of the South African National Taxi Council.
On 26 June 2009, we met the leadership of the National Taxi Alliance (NTA) and held similar consultations with provincial departments and affected municipalities. We have now started a "CODESA" of the taxi industry. Our structured engagement focuses on five strategic areas:
1. Implementing the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and other Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN) projects.
2. Taxi subsidisation and the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme.
3. Legislation, licensing and regulatory issues.
4. Enterprise development.
5. Communication and stakeholder engagement.
Last Thursday (30 July), the NJWG met at Gallagher Estate in Johannesburg with 150 representatives from the taxi industry, primarily representing the BRT-implementing cities. The NJWG has agreed to prioritise the BRT negotiations so that agreement is reached as soon as possible. Whilst finalising the BRT-process, engagement on the other issues will continue so that an interim report is submitted soon and implementation commences by October.
Government is taking this matter very seriously and, therefore, it has received attention from the highest level. We also want to commend the taxi industry for the serious manner in which they have been engaging with us on this issue. Both government and the taxi industry are committed to finding a lasting solution to all outstanding matters.
In this vein, we would like to acknowledge the presence of the taxi industry here today. Their presence indicates a new leaf in our relationship as partners and stakeholders in the transport sector. We are fast unveiling a period where conflict is replaced by negotiations and engagement and where violence is buried and peace dawns. The future we are defining together will be characterised by economic empowerment and inclusion.
In conclusion, we have said that transportation is one of the key determinants of a developed economy. For many years South Africa has been described as a developing country but for us to move to a developed country, transport has an important role to play. Our vision is of an economically developed country in which the transport sector plays a key role. We will not be able to achieve this alone but together with commuters, transport operators and the entire nation.
Working together we can do more!
Enquiries:
Logan Maistry
Minister's Spokesperson
Cell: 083 644 4050
Issued by: Department of Transport
4 August 2009
