Cape Town – The City of Cape Town has hit back at allegations made by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) after it announced a provincial stayaway set to take place next week.
Santaco Western Cape chairperson Mandla Hermanus said one of the reasons for the planned stayaway was the unfair impoundment of minibus taxis for minor traffic violations by drivers.
Another was the marginalisation of the taxi industry in the issuing of operating licences.
“The City of Cape Town recently lifted a moratorium on metered taxi operating licences, which will result in more than 2 000 new operating licences for e-hailing providers.
“On the other hand, there is going to be a five-year moratorium on minibus taxi operating licences, without first legalising all current illegal operators,” Hermanus said.
The provincial stayaway is expected to take place on Wednesday, February 22.
However, mayoral committee member for urban mobility Rob Quintas said the claims made by the council that they are being targeted by the City of Cape Town were dishonest.
“This is an attempt by some of those in the industry to establish a regime where they can operate with impunity. Of great concern also are attempts to undermine, threaten and prevent other public transport service providers from operating in certain areas in Cape Town.
“I want to make it very clear to Santaco: no single stakeholder has a monopoly over public transport in Cape Town.
“Further, we will not be intimidated or discouraged from acting against those who are driving around without driver’s licences and transporting commuters in vehicles that are unlicensed and not roadworthy,” Quintas said.
He said the National Land Transport Act (NLTA), signed into law by Parliament, applied to all public transport operators in South Africa.
The act requires that operators who are providing a public transport service must be in possession of a legal public transport operating licence; and that the holder of this licence must comply with the conditions of the said operating licence.
“Those operating without a legal public transport operating licence are liable for a fine, and are at risk of having their vehicles impounded – whether they are operating illegally in Cape Town, Joburg, Tshwane, or any other town or city in the country.
“The City of Cape Town enforces the provisions of the NLTA without fear or favour.
“Our Traffic By-law of 2021 makes provision for the impoundment of vehicles and we will keep on doing what we have to do to ensure that commuters are transported in roadworthy vehicles, by operators who have legal operating licences – be the operator a minibus taxi, a metered taxi, or any other public transport service provider,” Quintas said.
He said during the last week of January, the City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement conducted a minibus taxi operation in Hout Bay.
Quintas said over the period of five days, 881 fines were issued valued at R753 610.
He said 10 arrests were made for outstanding warrants, 85 warrants executed to the value of R191 210, and 40 minibus taxis were impounded for operating without an operating licence.
A total of 319 fines were issued for traffic violations, 173 fines for driving without a seatbelt, 97 fines for operating without a valid driver’s licence and 65 fines for operating an unlicensed motor vehicle.
“Those operators who are operating legally, and comply with the rules of the road do not have to fear fines or impoundments, but those who are violating the law will be caught and fined.
“The best solution is for Santaco to get its house in order, and to ensure its members comply with the traffic rules and the NLTA. It is in the interest of the safety of commuters and drivers that the City keeps on enforcing the Traffic By-law without fear or favour,” Quintas said.
He said the City of Cape Town was committed to creating a fully integrated public transport system where commuters had a wide variety of public services to choose from.
“The lifting of the moratorium on new applications for metered-taxi services is based on a demand method that confirmed that there is a need for this specific service – namely, metered-taxi services and that more operating licences should be made available to operate.
“As such, the City advised the Western Cape Provincial Regulatory Entity that the moratorium may be lifted,” Quintas said.
He added that Santaco had no right to prevent others from entering the public transport sector.
“The minibus-taxi industry is represented on the City’s Minibus-taxi Inter-modal Planning Committee (IPC) subcommittee by way of the Santaco regions and the Santaco chairperson represents the minibus-taxi industry, as well as at the Land Transport Advisory Board (LTAB).
“The IPC and LTAB serve as umbrella bodies or forums for engagement between government and the minibus-taxi industry. The IPC and LTAB are the appropriate forums to raise concerns and I encourage Santaco to use this forum to do so,” Quintas added.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
IOL