The Eastern Cape provincial government has moved swiftly to prevent a recurrence of the taxi industry strike which crippled operations across the province last Friday.
Over the weekend it convened two meetings with taxi bosses and a resolution to establish a multi-stakeholder task team to “urgently seek solutions” on the issues affecting provincial taxi drivers was taken.
This was confirmed yesterday by provincial government spokesman Sizwe Kupelo who said the task team would consist of two representatives from the taxi industry and government officials from the office of premier Phumulo Masualle and the provincial treasury.
Kupelo said in a bid to calm the situation, which saw thousands across the province being stranded as a result of a taxi strike which in some places turned violent, Masualle and finance MEC Sakhumzi Somyo urgently met with taxi bosses over their grievances.
However, the province yesterday conceded that the seven-day deadline given to them by taxi operators to resolve the issues was “not realistic”, saying that authorities would need more time to address them.
The crippling and at times violent strike boiled over when taxi operators vented their frustration with the Eastern Cape government over delays in issuing operating permits to taxis.
South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) provincial head Noluntu Mahashe said the weekend meeting with Masualle “bore positive results” and they were confident their demands “were receiving the necessary attention”.
She said the taxi industry had been “frustrated over the years” by delays by the provincial transport department “to such an extent that we even asked the premier to remove as we don’t want to deal with her or see her in our way”.
But she warned that should their grievances not be addressed in a reasonable time, “we will not shy away from going back to striking, as this issue of permits is negatively affecting the industry.
“We have been patient for so long”.
She would not be drawn on how long the “reasonable time” was.
On Friday, thousands of taxi operators marched to Bhisho’s State House where Masualle’s office is located.
They were demanding that delays in the issuing of valid taxi operating permits and the transfer of the taxi industry transformation grant by the provincial department of transport, be prioritised.
This was while many of their colleagues held the entire province to ransom by blockading roads with their vehicles and burning objects, in a bid to attract attention to their plight.
Just hours after their Friday strike began, Masualle addressed them in Bhisho, promising a speedy review and implementation of the integrated public transport master plan which taxi operators have argued is, in its current form, sidelining taxis in favour of buses.
Kupelo said Masualle and Somyo met with Santaco heads in Bhisho on Friday and in East London on Saturday and a decision to establish the task team was taken.
He said those meetings agreed on the need to speed up processes to transform and formalise the taxi industry.
“At the meeting in East London, taxi industry bosses raised serious concerns which directly impact on the day-to-day operations of the industry.
“These include the delays to issue valid operating permits and the transfer of the taxi industry transformation grant by the provincial department of transport.
“The parties have agreed on the establishment of a working team to urgently seek solutions on the two matters frustrating the provincial taxi industry.
“The team will, within a period exceeding seven days, report back to the premier who will then convene another meeting with Santaco in order to give a feedback,” Kupelo said.
He said the team’s scope would include looking into the matter of permit complaints and grant transfers, adding that, “no specific timeframe has been set, but it should be a speedy process to avoid further problems in the taxi industry”.
Over the last few years the Daily Dispatch has published several reports of taxi operators’ battles to obtain operating permits from the provincial transport department.
Asked about what was behind the delay, Kupelo said: “ the transport department which stands accused of the delays. Please ask the transport department.”
Transport department spokesman Ncedo Kumbaca said the delays in issuing permits were as a result of a moratorium agreed upon with taxi operators at a summit in Mthatha.
He said that agreement had since been reached whereby a schedule for the adjudication of permits was issued.
Kumbaca said that adjudication process would take place between June 20 and July 1.
Mahashe said they had gone so far as to instruct their lawyers to take the matter of the permits to court, “but we were informed on June 1 that the department had indicated that they will settle this out of court”.
On Friday provincial police spokeswoman Colonel Sibongile Soci reported that there were nine people arrested in East London, three in Zwelitsha, five in Bhisho, one in King William’s Town.
Three others were arrested in Mdantsane and one in Cambridge, while four taxis were impounded. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
Government, taxi bosses agree on plan to address concerns
Over the weekend it convened two meetings with taxi bosses and a resolution to establish a multi-stakeholder task team to “urgently seek solutions” on the issues affecting provincial taxi drivers was taken.
This was confirmed yesterday by provincial government spokesman Sizwe Kupelo who said the task team would consist of two representatives from the taxi industry and government officials from the office of premier Phumulo Masualle and the provincial treasury.
Kupelo said in a bid to calm the situation, which saw thousands across the province being stranded as a result of a taxi strike which in some places turned violent, Masualle and finance MEC Sakhumzi Somyo urgently met with taxi bosses over their grievances.
However, the province yesterday conceded that the seven-day deadline given to them by taxi operators to resolve the issues was “not realistic”, saying that authorities would need more time to address them.
The crippling and at times violent strike boiled over when taxi operators vented their frustration with the Eastern Cape government over delays in issuing operating permits to taxis.
South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) provincial head Noluntu Mahashe said the weekend meeting with Masualle “bore positive results” and they were confident their demands “were receiving the necessary attention”.
She said the taxi industry had been “frustrated over the years” by delays by the provincial transport department “to such an extent that we even asked the premier to remove as we don’t want to deal with her or see her in our way”.
But she warned that should their grievances not be addressed in a reasonable time, “we will not shy away from going back to striking, as this issue of permits is negatively affecting the industry.
“We have been patient for so long”.
She would not be drawn on how long the “reasonable time” was.
On Friday, thousands of taxi operators marched to Bhisho’s State House where Masualle’s office is located.
They were demanding that delays in the issuing of valid taxi operating permits and the transfer of the taxi industry transformation grant by the provincial department of transport, be prioritised.
This was while many of their colleagues held the entire province to ransom by blockading roads with their vehicles and burning objects, in a bid to attract attention to their plight.
Just hours after their Friday strike began, Masualle addressed them in Bhisho, promising a speedy review and implementation of the integrated public transport master plan which taxi operators have argued is, in its current form, sidelining taxis in favour of buses.
Kupelo said Masualle and Somyo met with Santaco heads in Bhisho on Friday and in East London on Saturday and a decision to establish the task team was taken.
He said those meetings agreed on the need to speed up processes to transform and formalise the taxi industry.
“At the meeting in East London, taxi industry bosses raised serious concerns which directly impact on the day-to-day operations of the industry.
“These include the delays to issue valid operating permits and the transfer of the taxi industry transformation grant by the provincial department of transport.
“The parties have agreed on the establishment of a working team to urgently seek solutions on the two matters frustrating the provincial taxi industry.
“The team will, within a period exceeding seven days, report back to the premier who will then convene another meeting with Santaco in order to give a feedback,” Kupelo said.
He said the team’s scope would include looking into the matter of permit complaints and grant transfers, adding that, “no specific timeframe has been set, but it should be a speedy process to avoid further problems in the taxi industry”.
Over the last few years the Daily Dispatch has published several reports of taxi operators’ battles to obtain operating permits from the provincial transport department.
Asked about what was behind the delay, Kupelo said: “ the transport department which stands accused of the delays. Please ask the transport department.”
Transport department spokesman Ncedo Kumbaca said the delays in issuing permits were as a result of a moratorium agreed upon with taxi operators at a summit in Mthatha.
He said that agreement had since been reached whereby a schedule for the adjudication of permits was issued.
Kumbaca said that adjudication process would take place between June 20 and July 1.
Mahashe said they had gone so far as to instruct their lawyers to take the matter of the permits to court, “but we were informed on June 1 that the department had indicated that they will settle this out of court”.
On Friday provincial police spokeswoman Colonel Sibongile Soci reported that there were nine people arrested in East London, three in Zwelitsha, five in Bhisho, one in King William’s Town.
Three others were arrested in Mdantsane and one in Cambridge, while four taxis were impounded. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
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