14 March 2001
The BE LEGAL Campaign will officially commence tomorrow 15 March 2001. This is ‘the last window of opportunity to legalise close to 36 000 illegal minibus taxi type operators throughout the country. The BE LEGAL Campaign will last for a period of seven (7) months. No applications will be accepted after the first four (4) months of the campaign and the remaining three (3) months will be utilised for processing remaining applications.
A moratorium from prosecution will be granted as a supportive mechanism to the creation of a conducive climate for the BE LEGAL Campaign. Eligible taxi operators will be exempted from prosecutions and the impounding of their vehicles only for the offence of operating a taxi without a valid operating licence. The moratorium will be lifted simultaneously with completion of the BE LEGAL Campaign in September 2001.
The main objectives of the BE LEGAL Campaign are to create an opportunity to qualifying minibus taxi operators to be legalised; to create a positive climate for the formalisation and democratisation of the taxi industry; to create positive conditions for the smooth implementation of the taxi recapitalisation plan; and to create positive conditions for the economic empowerment of the taxi industry and rationalisation of public transport operations.
The qualifying criteria is that the public transport operator must have been operating a minibus-taxi service at least before 30 June 1997 on the route(s) and using the rank(s) indicated in the application form. Secondly, the operator must be a member of an association that has been at least provisionally registered with the Provincial Registrar as envisaged in the National Land Transport Transition Act (NLTTA). In the event of a non-member operator, sub regulation (b) of the Act will not apply, but such an operator must be registered as a non-member in terms of the Act or any replacing provincial law. Lastly, the public transport operator must have a vehicle registered in his or her name that may be used for minibus taxi type services in terms of the Act.
There are close to 127 000 taxis in South Africa. The taxi industry moves 65% of the commuting public in urban areas. The de facto deregulation of the taxi industry in the late eighties led to uncontrolled growth that eventually slipped into anarchy, which saw many lives being lost as a result of the scramble over routes that were seen to be lucrative. The industry once hailed as the flagship for black economic empowerment became overtraded and a brooding ground for violence and factionalism.
In 1996, government initiated a Special Legalisation Procedure (SLP), which was intended to legalise minibus taxi operators. The SLP did not address all the problems. It is estimated that close to eighteen thousand (18 000) applications remain unprocessed and are still entangled within the system after two (2) years since the cut off date. While different Provinces could not complete the Legalisation process due to differentiated problems, a standard threshold is necessary to ensure a minimum degree of uniformity across the country. It is now estimated that there are 36 000 illegal operators throughout the country.
The Minister calls on illegal operators to co-operate with authorities and come forward to apply for legalisation without delay. After this campaign there will be zero tolerance from operating public transport vehicles without valid permits or operating licenses.
The launch is tomorrow at the Johannesburg Art Gallery with the first session by the Minister of Transport, Dullah Omar together with provincial MEC’s for transport hosting a Breakfast meeting with the media. At around 10H00 the Minister proceeds to the Jack Mincer Taxi Rank where the Campaign will be officially launched. A quote form President Thabo Mbeki in his State of the Nation Address - "UNITY IN ACTION FOR CHANGE".
ISSUED BY ON BEHALF OF THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT, DULLAH OMAR BY:
Mike Mabasa
HEAD: Media Liaison and Corporate Communication
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT
TEL: 083 680 7048
FAX: 083 676 8450
Pretoria