Date: 20/10/2010
Source: The Department of Transport
Title: SA: Mahlalela: Opening address by the Director-General in the Department of Transport, at the Cross Border Taxi Operators Conference, Pretoria

Programme Director: Muthuhadini Madzivhandila

CBRTA CEO: Mr Sipho Khumalo

Reverend Themba Vundla: Dept of Transport

Advocate Xaba from the NPA

Government officials

Officials from Transport Entities

Representatives from the Taxi Industry

Distinguished Guests

Members of the Media

Ladies and Gentlemen

I must start by appreciating your presence here today. This conference which
comes in the midst our 2010 Transport Month Campaign once again demonstrates
the commitment of the South African Government in addressing transport
challenges that faced our people and country as far back as a decade.

When Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele officially launched this year's
Transport Month Campaign in Durban last month he stressed the importance of
advancing South Africa's transport infrastructure so that together with our
neighbouring countries we can improve the regional economy through regional
integrated transport infrastructure and systems. The special role played by
rail, road, and aviation and maritime transport to drive our economy to
greater heights cannot be overemphasized. To show our determination on cross
border transport services yesterday we launched the Musina - Beit Bridge
weigh bridge which will play a pivotal role in safe transportation of
freight trucks and other vehicles that are facilitating the movement of
goods and people between Zimbabwe , South Africa and other SADC countries.
As Government we are committed to working tirelessly to address the short
comings and loopholes in the interconnectivity of our regional transport
networking systems.

Due to increased transport movements between our borders it is pertinent
that our transport entities such as the Cross Border Road Transport Agency,
the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and the Passenger Rail Agency
of South Africa (PRASA) work on regional and cross border research and
interventions that can enable regional transport operations such as taxis,
rail, trucks and buses to best operate across our borders. It is therefore
of paramount importance that we lead and work closely with our regional
counterparts in finding solutions to challenges that are deterrent and
regarded as missing links in the connectivity of our transport operations.

The purpose of this conference is mainly to formalize our taxi corridors,
route based committees as per the Cross Border Act. Since June 2010, the
CBRTA embarked on a successful process of establishing regional or route
based taxi operators' committees in order to address matters of common
interests and in setting platforms to formally engage with our operators or
permit holders. The exception to this process is the Lesotho - South Africa
route due to passenger transport challenges on the route. In fact it is in
the best interest of the Government that the taxi industry shares its
concerns and interests and to respond better and coherently to the
empowerment of the industry. The industry must also take the opportunities
available from Government to enable growth in their operations without them
having to deprive travelers of their rights.

Ladies and gentlemen, I must stress that the CBRTA in organizing this
conference is not launching an alternative to SANTACO or some sort of a
national body. What we will be doing in the next two days would be to
formalize our relations with the entire Cross Border Taxi Industry. At the
moment our relations are route-corridor based. The conference will at the
end elect a Cross Border National Forum which will be the forum or platform
which will continuously engage with the Agency with regard to challenges in
the industry and beyond our borders and how to address these challenges.

During the conference we will have various interventions on what we seek to
achieve but we should try and put more emphasis on how we should achieve the
following:

" To develop a co-coordinated approach on cross-border road transport taxi
operations;

" To facilitate cross-border road transport efficiently and therefore
contribute to improved market access and regional economic growth;

" To raise awareness and to promote the Agency as a leading Regulator within
the SADC region;

" To structure the cross-border taxi industry

I must say while as Government we welcome the operations and movements of
taxis beyond our borders, it is in the best of those being transported and
the operators that the movement is done in a way that benefits all parties
involved. While taxi operations between South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana,
Mozambique and Swaziland are satisfactory, operations between South Africa
and Lesotho are marred with irregularities.

We have noted through a Task Team report that the van Rooyen border post is
based north of Lesotho. No ranking facilities are applicable at this border
as the illegal ranking facility was demolished and taxis relocated to the
nearby town of Wepenaar. The 4+1 - private 5-seater vehicles and a few
Toyota Venture vehicles are operating between the border post and Wepenaar
which makes it an illegal operation as it is against the NLTA and the SACU
Memorandum of Understanding and the Cross Border Act as amended.

In addition these operators use an open space outside the border as a pick
up and drop off point, rendering direct operation between Wepenaar and
Mafeteng in Lesotho to be ineffective.

As I stated earlier on, if taxi operations are NOT meeting the needs of
travelers then it means we have serious problems within our cross border
operations and urgent measures need to be taken. Along the Wepenaar -
Mafeteng routes in Lesotho there are operational factors that we need to
note and take into consideration so that at the end we devise ways of
lessening the problems. For example no public passenger vehicles are allowed
to cross borders. Passengers walk through the border on foot to connect to
other vehicles or taxis to the surrounding villages for instance Mafeteng in
Lesotho.

Another example is that a passenger travels from Bloemfontein at a fee of
R50.00, drops off at Wepenaar and uses a 4+1 for 10 Km at R5.00 to the
border, crosses on foot and connects a taxi to either Mafeteng or other
nearby villages in Lesotho at a cost of R7,50 for approximately 15Km. In
total the above trip from Bloemfontein costs the passenger an average of
R62.50 depending on the location or final destination; it can amount to R70
and involves 3 to 4 transfers.

Ladies and gentlemen, we need to take note that a normalized cross border
operation within the travel between Bloemfontein and Mafeteng or Wepenaar
and Mafeteng would cost approximately R40.00 and R15.00 respectively
depending on the destination of the traveler. This would also mean that the
traveler would use only one taxi vehicle as opposed to 3 or 4 vehicles.
There are 3 taxi associations operating to the border post and they all
claim the "right" to the route as all have indicated to be in the possession
of operating permits issued by the Free State Provincial Registrar.

Cross Border Challenges

As we engage and interrogate possible interventions during this conference,
we need to assess various challenges and how to address them moving forward.
On interviewing the operators and passengers, it was discovered that the
taxi drivers did not possess valid passports and are not prepared to incur
any costs to obtain the passports as they claimed owners do not make
financial and time-off provisions to acquire passports. Therefore, the above
leads them to engage in illegal operations up to the border posts. In
addition there are no parking or ranking facilities at the border posts,
making the situation ugly, unsafe and difficult to control during peak
seasons or periods.

The above factors negatively affect the travelers more than any other
involved party as it costs more to travel. It is inconvenient especially for
elderly people travelling with goods such as groceries between the two
countries. It was also noted that most of the vehicles conducting such
illegal operations are unsafe, un-roadworthy and not fit for public
passenger transport as outlined in the various legislations.

Distinguished guests one of the key elements that I stressed at the Nepad
Conference in Midrand last week is that South Africa and its neighbours can
achieve increased volumes of trade if the border posts and ports of entry
are designed in such a way that the traffic movements are safe, efficient
and reliable. The Maseru Border post is the biggest and busiest border post
between South Africa and Lesotho in terms of trade facilitation. Most
passenger and goods operations between the two countries are conducted
through this border due to the proximity to the capital city Maseru.

On the South African side of the border post, there are two illegal taxi
ranks situated within the border post, the first being at the border
entrance and the second approximately 500 metres from the border post. The
operations at the two mentioned points make it difficult for the free and
smooth flow of operations in particular during peak periods.

No cross border operations are allowed through this border due to the Free
State operators refusing to allow any cross border operations between Maseru
and the nearby Ficksburg town. Passengers are dropped off outside the border
gate, cross over on foot through the South Africa and Lesotho borders and
connect to the 4+1 vehicles on the Lesotho side of the border. Ladies and
gentlemen, it is much of our concern as Government if taxi operators at this
border post continue to put profit before human safety.

The situation at this border is found to be inhuman, it poses a health
hazard, it is prone to accidents and it inhibits the free flow of traffic
and passengers between the two countries.

There are various life threatening accidents involving trucks, buses and in
some instances taxis have been reported at this border post due to
congestions at the border mouth created by illegal ranking facilities. I
must say that the findings I have mentioned and the prolonged state of road
passenger operations between South Africa and Lesotho is very disturbing. In
essence, these findings reflect the failure of the Free State Province to
correctly resolve these challenges.

The unruly behaviour by some of our operators within the Free State Province
cannot be tolerated any longer. We cannot continue to be held hostage and
render the province, country and region ungovernable due to certain elements
or taxi associations and greedy individuals who do not want to obey rules
and regulations of the country.

This challenge ladies and gentlemen is also undermining our Foreign Aid
policy. It also defeats the intentions of the SACU, SADC and African Union.
The South African role and contribution towards the United Nations
Millennium Development Goals is severely affected by the taxi passenger
operations between South Africa and Lesotho.

To make matters worse it is a historically known fact that the majority of
the Basotho people earn their living income in South Africa and most Basotho
families including former South African liberation movement fighters have
relatives in both countries especially the Free State Province of South
Africa. In this regard, making main public transport sources ungovernable
does not only defeat our political intention, but also destabilizes normal
family lives and affects the economic relations between the countries.

I am confident that Minister Ndebele will engage the Transport, Roads and
Security officials in the Free State Province to co-operate and restore
order, law enforcement and the free flow of public passenger traffic in the
province. The Task Team members are ready to work with the Minister in this
regard. Some of the solutions I have pronounced are not in any way intended
to undermine any efforts of the Free State Provincial Government or our taxi
operators but the point is that we cannot watch lawlessness and agents who
continue to undermine our national mandate. The Task Team comprised of the
CBRTA, the Department of Transport and officials from Provincial Governments
resolved to conduct the remaining site visits and to report back on such
before the end of Transport Month.

In conclusion ladies and gentlemen, I must stress the point that as a
country we are trying our level best at all spheres of Government to make
sure that our public transport services should meet world standards by
making investments in rail, bus rapid transit systems, such as the Rea Vaya
buses, long distance Shosholoza trains, Prasa passenger rail transport and
long and short distance taxi operations. But we cannot be complacent within
our country if transport operations, especially taxi operations are a cause
for concern at some of our border posts. How are we going to improve and
promote trade and development with our neighbouring countries if our cross
border transport operations pose a danger and threat to our travelers?

I believe that through constructive engagement will all concerned parties we
should be able to find solutions to these challenges, putting aside the
motive to make profit without considering the joy and comfort of our
travelers. It is only through improved and sustainable transport services
and infrastructure and the determination to share resources that we can be
able to meet our social and economic development objectives that will
benefit the whole region.

I thank you.