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The national Taxi
Recapitalisation Programme is moving ahead in Gauteng, where over a thousand
applications have been received to have old taxis scrapped. Almost all
operators have also applied for route-based operating licences.
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O
NGOING
efforts to remove unroadworthy taxis from the roads have been hailed as a
success in Gauteng, with the provincial transport department having received
1 600 applications from taxi operators to have their old taxis
scrapped in the second phase of the national Taxi Recapitalisation Programme
(TRP).
More than
75 old taxis have been scrapped since the end of March and a further 122 have
been prepared for scrapping, says the spokesperson for the Gauteng department
of public transport, roads and works, Alfred Nhlapo.
"This is an
indication of the tremendous progress that the government and the taxi industry
are making in improving the quality of public transport. At the same time, the
government will ensure through law enforcement, that all old taxis not fit or
safe for use, are impounded and scrapped."
The second
phase of the TRP involves scrapping minibus taxis that are older than 10 years.
Operators of these scrapped taxis receive a once-off compensation of
R50 000. Nhlapo says more than R7-billion has been put aside for the
exercise nationally.
Scrapping
will be followed by the introduction of new taxis that comply with set
specifications relating to safety. They are regulated by the government.
On top of
this, the provincial department is introducing a pilot subsidy scheme for the
taxi industry that will benefit commuters. The scheme is in line with the
national government's belief that the subsidy needs to follow the majority of
public transport users.
"One third
of the province's population are public transport users and more than
70 percent of this one third use taxis as their mode of transport. Yet
these commuters do not benefit from the government's operating subsidy schemes
in respect of public transport. The subsidy scheme will be implemented via the
taxi operators at the end of this year," Nhlapo explains.
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There are
over 50 000 taxis in the province; almost all operators have applied
to have their radius-based permits converted to route-based operating licences.
This represents almost 100 percent of Gauteng-based operators and
40 percent of the total national picture, he says.
"Half of
the applications are valid and active permits. Of these 25 000, more
than 20 000 have already been verified, considered and approved by the
Gauteng Operating Licence Board and captured into the Operating Licence
Administration System. We are currently processing 2 800 applicants a
week."
Launched in
March at the Wesbank Raceway in Ekurhuleni, the Gauteng leg of the second phase
of the TRP is in line with the Gauteng provincial department's objective of
building safe and sustainable communities and accelerating job creation through
faster economic growth.
The launch
followed a broad-based "Be Legal" campaign started seven years ago that was
aimed at establishing an accurate database of vehicles, operators and permits
that were in the system, and at encouraging the industry to migrate from the
"informal" sector to mainstream economics.
It was
followed by a massive "democratisation" phase, which involved formalising the
taxi associations, and holding democratic elections for the executive committee
members for each of the recognised taxi associations. Regional taxi councils
were then established as broadly representative of the taxi associations within
their areas of jurisdiction.
In Gauteng,
six regional councils established the democratically elected provincial taxi
council, the Gauteng Taxi Council (Gataco). In addition to Gataco, the
provincial department also consults with other stakeholders in the taxi
industry.
"I am confident that the programme is going to
be a success," Nhlapo says. "With the country playing host to the 2010 Fifa
World Cup, which is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of
visitors, the importance of public transport cannot be over-emphasised."
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