Taxi recap to go ahead: govt
David Masango
10 October 2003
The government confirmed this week that the taxi recapitalisation programme will continue as planned despite the granting of an interdict brought against a national taxi body from signing a memorandum of agreement with the government.
The Pretoria High Court on Wednesday granted the KwaZulu-Natal Taxi Council (Kwanataco) an interdict preventing the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) from signing the agreement, which was scheduled for Pretoria on Wednesday.
The recapitalisation programme is aimed at replacing the country's current fleet of minibus taxis with safer, purpose-built 18- and 35-seater vehicles, although a new deadline is still to be decided on. Government had initially set the deadline for 2006.
The agreement deals with the framework and guidelines on the implementation of the programme and the relationship between the government and Santaco in the process.
But Kwanataco has disputed the move, saying they were
not properly consulted by Santaco regarding the programme and that they wanted to be part of the decision-making process.
Tender process continues
Addressing the media in Pretoria after the court ruling, Transport Minister Dullah Omar and Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin said the tendering process for the taxi recapitalisation would proceed as planned, as this was not affected by the disputed memorandum of agreement.
The ministers said the government was in the final stages of assessing the best and final offers from companies bidding to supply the new vehicles, adding that the process could be finalised by the end of this month.
"Once we have made that assessment, the normal process of government decision-making will take place to decide on the successful bidders", Erwin said.
He said the successful bidders would undergo the homologation process, which involves technical processes such as testing of measurements and safety
aspects of the vehicles.
The government expects the rollout of the vehicles to start by the middle of 2004.
Omar said the programme was initiated by government to enable the taxi industry to recapitalise itself and it was up to operators to take advantage of the programme.
Safety considerations
"What is compulsory is that as from a date to be determined by government, public passenger transport vehicles will have to comply with certain basic minimum specifications," Omar said, adding that the issue of safety was of paramount importance.
"The present fleet of minibus taxis do not have roll bars and chassis because they were not designed as public passenger transport vehicles.
"As a result of this problem, when these vehicles are in accidents they very often overturn or fold up, leading to deaths and injuries to passengers," Omar said.
Omar said that as of October next year, vehicles that do not comply with the new
safety laws will no longer be licensed, and that from October 2006 such vehicles will no longer be allowed on the roads as public transport.
Source: BuaNews
| 
