The City of Cape Town has noted the provincial stay-way initiated by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) for Wednesday, 22 February 2023.
The City of Cape Town has noted the provincial stay-way initiated by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) for Wednesday, 22 February 2023. We know from prior experience that these stay-away actions are, unfortunately, often marked by violence, destruction of public property, attacks on other public transport services, and intimidation. I want to make it very clear that the City will not tolerate thuggish behaviour on the day, and that all the necessary precautions will be taken to ensure the safety of commuters and other operators, including the MyCiTi bus service, as far as possible.
I want to refute some of Santaco’s assertions for justifying the stay-away.
• First off, their claims that the City is ‘targeting’ minibus-taxi operators by issuing fines for transgressions and impounding illegal operators’ vehicles are dishonest. This is an attempt by some to establish a regime where they can operate with impunity.
Operators who are operating legally, and comply with the rules of the road do not have to fear fines or impoundments, but those who are violating the law will be caught and fined.
The City’s Law Enforcement conducted a minibus-taxi operation in Hout Bay in the last week of January 2023. Over a period of five days alone, up to 881 fines to the value of R753 610 were issued. This is a staggering number of transgressions, among which:
• 10 arrests for outstanding warrants
• 85 warrants executed to the value of R191 210
• 40 minibus-taxis impounded, and drivers fined for operating without an operating licence or contravening the conditions of the operating licence
• 7 fines issued for using a cellphone while driving
• 20 fines for overloading
• 14 fines for driving without a number plate
• 54 fines issued for defective tyres
• 65 fines issued for operating an unlicensed motor vehicle
• 94 fines issued for operating without a valid driver’s licence
• 173 fines issued for driving without a seatbelt
• 319 fines were issued for other traffic related offences
The City will not be intimidated from acting against those who are driving around without driver’s licences and transporting commuters in vehicles that are unlicensed and not roadworthy.
• Secondly, The National Land Transport Act (NLTA), signed into law by Parliament, applies to all public transport operators in South Africa. The act requires that operators who are providing a public transport service must be in possession of a legal public transport operating licence; and that the holder of this licence must comply with the conditions of the said operating licence.
Those operating without a legal public transport operating licence are liable for a fine, and are at risk of having their vehicles impounded – whether they are operating illegally in Cape Town, Joburg, Tshwane, or any other town or city in the country.
The City enforces the provisions of the NLTA without fear or favour.
Our Traffic By-law of 2021 makes provision for the impoundment of vehicles in terms of certain transgressions. We will keep on doing what we have to do to ensure that commuters are transported in roadworthy vehicles, by operators who have legal operating licences – be the operator a minibus-taxi, a metered-taxi, or any other public transport service provider.
The best solution is for Santaco to get its house in order, and to ensure its members comply with the traffic rules and the NLTA. It is in the interest of the safety of commuters and drivers that the City keeps on enforcing the Traffic By-law without fear or favour.
• Thirdly: No single stakeholder has a monopoly over public transport in Cape Town.
The City is committed to creating a fully integrated public transport system in Cape Town where commuters have a wide variety of public transport services to choose from, be it passenger rail, minibus-taxis, metered-taxis, the Golden Arrow Bus Service, or MyCiTi bus service.
The lifting of the moratorium on new applications for metered-taxi services is based on a demand method that confirmed that there is a need for this specific service – namely, metered-taxi services and that more operating licences should be made available to operate. As such, the City advised the Western Cape Provincial Regulatory Entity that the moratorium may be lifted.
Santaco has no right to prevent others from entering the public transport sector.
• Lastly: I encourage Santaco to use the appropriate forums to raise their concerns.
The minibus-taxi industry is represented on the City’s Minibus-taxi Inter-modal Planning Committee (IPC) subcommittee by way of the Santaco regions and the Santaco Chairperson represents the minibus-taxi industry, as well as at the Land Transport Advisory Board (LTAB). The IPC and LTAB serve as umbrella bodies or forums for engagement between government and the minibus-taxi industry. The IPC and LTAB are the appropriate forums to discuss concerns and challenges.
Source: City Of Cape Town