Note to Editors: Attached please find a soundbite in English here by Evert Du Plessis MPL.
A looming taxi strike in Gauteng may leave thousands of commuters stranded amid tensions between the taxi industry and the MEC for Roads and Logistics, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela. Should this taxi strike go ahead, the Gauteng economy will be affected, as many residents in this province rely on taxis to get to and from work.
The DA Gauteng will be writing to MEC Diale-Tlabela regarding this matter and will urge her to resolve this tension by engaging with the official taxi bodies and provide us with a response within seven working days.
The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) and the National Taxi Alliance (NTA) indicate that the dispute arose because the MEC allegedly bypassed the official taxi industry structures in place and instead directly engaged with taxi associations and operators on issues of concern.
Furthermore, SANTACO and the NTA have also highlighted their dissatisfaction with how the MEC is handling the issuing of operating licences to the industry. They are accusing the MEC of not allowing them to collect operating licences individually, as they previously did in the regions where they applied.
The taxi associations have indicated that the licences will be handed over at a ceremony, forcing taxi operators to travel long distances to collect their operating licence. If this is true, it is an unacceptable administrative delay that is compromising the taxi industry, commuters, and the Gauteng economy. Once the operating licence is ready for collection, taxi operators must be allowed to collect their licence as soon as possible.
MEC Diale-Tlabela should not be using the release of operating licences for political grandstanding.
Public transport is the heartbeat of the economy. Without it, the Gauteng economy cannot grow, and more job opportunities cannot be created. A DA-led Gauteng provincial government will establish a good working relationship with all stakeholders, particularly in the transport industry, to promptly address any issues that may arise.