The Gauteng Departments of Community Safety and Roads and Transport today announced that a Provincial Taxi Summit will be held on 21 and 22 June 2016.
The aim of the summit is to address road safety concerns, taxi regulation and the economic empowerment of the broader taxi industry.
The taxi indaba will take the form of a public meeting with minibus taxi operators followed by a more intensive workshop with the provincial and regional leadership of taxi associations to address matters of mutual interest.
Announcing the summit both MECs for Community Safety, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane, and Roads and Transport, Ismail Vadi, emphasised that the Gauteng provincial government believes that a bold, forward-looking and constructive approach is needed to resolving issues affecting the taxi industry.
“We should not be grievance-driven and reactive in our approach. We must be bold and solution-oriented. We should lay the groundwork for change and transformation in the taxi industry in our province,” they said in a joint statement.
Furthermore, the MECs today held a meeting with the leadership of taxi associations and identified an 8-point plan that will serve as the basis of future engagements with the taxi industry.
The new plan relates to:
- The issuing of replacement licenses for 22-seater vehicles;
- Fast-tracking of long-standing licensing applications that meet compliance requirements;
- Processing of new Operating License applications that are on hold or pending in different regions and that are based on Integrated Transport Plans of municipalities;
- Renewal of motor vehicle license discs and payment of outstanding motor vehicle license fees by selected taxi operators;
- Promoting roadworthiness of minibus taxis and scholar transport vehicles;
- Supporting the road safety campaign led by the Department of Community Safety and promoting more responsible taxi driver behaviour on roads;
- Addressing the unacceptable forms of violent conflict within the taxi industry; and
- Promoting meaningful economic empowerment programmes within the taxi industry linked to broader transport value-chain across different regions through formally registered corporate entities.
At the same time MEC Nkosi-Malobane said that Operation “Ke Molao” will continue in so far as it relates to taxi drivers driving recklessly, and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, not wearing seat belts and driving on the pavements or against on-coming traffic.
“For these traffic violations law enforcement is non-negotiable and Operation Ke Molao will continue, but a grace period has been given to operators to fix their vehicles and pay outstanding traffic fines,” said MEC Nkosi-Malobane.
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