Date: 24/04/2003
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Mosunkutu: Issuing Gauteng's first taxi permits in recapitalisation programme


STATEMENT BY THE GAUTENG PUBLIC TRANSPORT, ROADS AND WORKS MEC, KHABISI MOSUNKUTU, ON THE ISSUING OF GAUTENG'S FIRST BATCH OF TAXI PERMITS TO BE ISSUED UNDER THE GOVERNMENT'S RECAPITALISATION PROGRAMME, 24 April 2003

We are gathered here today to witness the outcome of a long and arduous route that has been traversed in the taxi industry. To some, the significance of today's event may simply be to witness the issuing of a piece of paper - a permit that allows a taxi operator to operate legally.

To others, perhaps amongst individual taxi operators themselves, the occasion is nothing more than a great step to, at last, stand a chance to own one of the recap taxis soon to be rolled out under the Government's Recapitalisation programme. Yet to those amongst us within the Department, what we are here about may be a victorious close of yet another instalment in our vision statement which directs us to a goal of 'an integrated transport system ... which satisfies the needs of the people whilst supporting and facilitating social and economic growth, improving the quality of life and the development of the people of Gauteng'. Doubtlessly, these are all noble and justifiable goals.

Correct, noble and just as all these goals are, we cannot forget that we are celebrating a process that was initiated by Government in 1994, right at the dawn of the first democratic rule in our country. Explaining the logic driving the 'Be Legal Campaign' (Operation Vuka), the Minister of Transport, Mr. Dullah Omar, said 'There was no adequate recognition, no adequate infrastructure provision or regulation. Taxi operators often had to make their own arrangements, their own rules and enforce the rules themselves'.

Needless to say, this chaotic inheritance from the apartheid regime often meant that the taxi routes and taxi ranks could be, and often were, reduced into veritable killing fields. Man's greatest possession - life - could be, and often was, snuffed out at the wink of an eye. The drive to have a share in the saturated taxi routes was, on the main, the motive. It was, and still is, not because taxi operators are inherently violent, rude and uncultured.

We would all know that the Special Legalisation Process (SLP) preceded the Be Legal Campaign. Both of these processes were aimed at regulating, formalising and developing the taxi industry. The issuing of the first batch of taxi permits is the crowning glory of this process. If the issuing of permits is the crowning glory of this long process, it is also the beginning of yet another important goal of our Government - the deracialisation of our economy at a critical economic infrastructure - transport. We all know that transport is the driver of economic development in any country.

We are today beginning a process of issuing 1551 permits, with more to follow. At the inception of the recapitalisation programme, we visualised a situation where a united, democratic and efficient taxi industry will benefit not only from economic activities such as forming co-operatives, running petrol service stations, vehicle servicing and repair outlets, but we visualised a largely black-owned and controlled industry that will compete on an equal footing with the rest of the public transport industry that, exclusively, enjoyed subsidies from the then apartheid regime. Indeed, the horizon is already beginning to widen with taxi associations owning shares in some petroleum companis. At the beginning of my statement I indicated some goals that we individually attached to the significance of handing over these taxi permits. The significance that we would attach to the issuing of these permits, as part of the Gauteng Provincial Government, is this first step on the long road to deracialisation of our economy. We see, in this process, yet another step towards achieving the goals enshrined in the historic Freedom Charter.

As a department, we see the process not only contributing towards reducing congestion on our roads, but also as contributing towards reducing pollution and allowing the public to spend more quality time on other social and economic needs rather than on the roads, after all, there will be fewer vehicles without necessarily translating to fewer jobs. Our goals of an integrated transport system that works for sustainable communities. These assumptions are based on the knowledge that only the possession of such a taxi permit allows operators to be candidates for the maxi-taxis provided for in the recapitalisation process. Our confidence is also based on the knowledge that the mini-bus taxis that are currently in operation will fade away, very rapidly, with the introduction of the maxi taxis.

At the beginning of my statement, I indicated that the issuing of these taxi permits is a culmination of a process that began at the dawn of the first democratic government of our country. I have also explained the advantages inherent in this process. The question we all need to ask ourselves, as we prepare to celebrate Freedom Day on the 27th of April 2003, is where would our taxi industry be without our democratic government?

Would, without our democratic government, the taxi industry, still be characterised by wanton violence and the attendant uncertainty for our travelling public?

Let us all go and attend the Freedom Day celebrations on 27 April with some of these victories in mind.

Finally, I congratulate all those operators who participated in this process of making their industry democratic and legal. I wish them success in all their efforts.

For more information contact: Sizwe Matshikiza on (011) 355 7553 / 082 778 9996
Issued by: Department of Public Transport, Roads and Works, Gauteng Provincial Government, 24 April 2003