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Taxi industry 'will own BRT'

DEATH TRAPS: A woman about to catch a taxi at a rank. Photo: Gallo Images
DEATH TRAPS: A woman about to catch a taxi at a rank. Photo: Gallo Images

"The taxi industry is at the forefront of this project. As we go along and identify affected taxi associations, shareholding will be entirely in the hands of the taxi industry," Ngobeni said at the signing of an agreement with local taxi operators.

The taxi industry in Tshwane will eventually own and operate the city's bus rapid transit (BRT) system, city manager Jason Ngobeni said.

"The taxi industry is at the forefront of this project. As we go along and identify affected taxi associations, shareholding will be entirely in the hands of the taxi industry," Ngobeni said at the signing of an agreement with local taxi operators.

He said the city looked at BRT models in other cities and decided to be different.

"This agreement will see the project being different and actually beneficial to the [taxi] industry."

Construction on the project had started in the city and would be implemented in phases.

The R3 billion project was expected to be fully completed by 2016.

"An entity, owned by the industry, has already been established in the form of a trust. That entity is already acquiring buses for the project."

The taxi drivers would be trained to drive the buses, said Ngobeni.

"This is part of the value chain beneficiation. More opportunities for the industry, such as security and station management, are available as well."

A 12-year contract would later be signed with the industry to run the project. The city would enter into an agreement with operators to maintain quality services in running the system.

"Penalties will be imposed on operators who do not adhere to the agreement," Ngobeni said.

  

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