MEDIA STATEMENT BY MR MAC MAHARAJ, MINISTER OF TRANSPORT
24 APRIL 1995
Following the widely reported National Taxi Workshop on 18 March at Midrand, the first meeting of the National Taxi Task Team was held in Pretoria on 20 April 1995.
The principal objective of the Workshop was to put together a structure representative of the taxi industry and the three tiers of government, with the assistance of specialist advisers, to develop policy proposals for consideration by Government to address the multitude of problems facing this important sector of the passenger transport industry.
Issues that will be investigated will include the industry's economic viability, systems to regulate the industry and to introduce it into the formal transport sector. Part of the process to address the problems and issues is the need to build capacity in the industry. Building capacity needs to go hand in hand with inclusive consultation with and between the major role players of the taxi industry.
The taxi fraternity has selected from amongst themselves office bearers in each of the nine Provinces to represent those provinces. This is a giant step forward in an important two way consultation process. Equally important, is the fact that the rest of the Task Team consists of officials from the Provinces and the metropolitan areas, thus representing provincial and local governments.
I want to emphasize that the MEC's for Transport in the Provinces have been party to the establishment of the Task Team.
The team's first meeting last week was exploratory in that it dealt with processes and procedures for its functioning.
I am pleased to note that the way forward is being mapped out. We have set in motion a democratically driven process based on the taxi industry's needs as well as the needs of other role players, like the commuters.
As the work of the Team progresses, further media statements will be made.
Enquiries
Dipak Patel, Chief Director, Managerial Services
Tel (012) 290-2004
ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT