Gauteng transport department appeals to taxi bosses to help curb violence

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport says the spate of killings as a result of taxi violence has reached worrying levels in the province and feels taxi bosses can play a vital role in curbing the brutality.

“The taxi violence is a major issue and that is one of the big points we have raised with them as the leadership‚ to say ‘Guys look here‚ you are the leaderships of these 177 associations‚ we can’t monitor everyone every day‚ but you have the responsibility as the leadership to make sure that conflicts are [avoided]‚’” said MEC of Roads and Transport Ismail Vadi.

Vadi was speaking to TMG Digital on the sidelines‚ after the briefing on the outcomes of the Minibus Taxi Operating Licensing Outreach Programme in Johannesburg on Monday.

“Conflicts will arise‚ that is in the nature of the taxi business as it is very competitive‚ but they don’t have to be resolved through violence. There are peaceful ways of resolving conflicts… there’s mediation‚ there is intervention that we can make from the department. These conflicts should not be resolved through someone pulling the trigger‚” said the MEC.

Vadi’s comments come a few months after he was assaulted by a group of angry men who appeared to be metered taxi operators‚ after he announced that his department had started the process of issuing operating licences to Uber driver-partners.

“If we can resolve their sense of grievances as government and start processing the permits and make a sincere effort‚ a few months from now once we have completed the exercise‚ then there should be no reason why taxi’s should be operating illegally. If you are operating illegally‚ then you should face the consequences‚” said Vadi.

Asked about the department’s intervention following taxi violence fuelled by a feud between two rival taxi associations over the highly profitable route in the precinct of the newly-built Mall of Africa‚ Vadi said: “This process does not deal with route applications and it did not address the issue of Mall of Africa‚ it was a totally different exercise.”

He was referring to the Minibus Taxi Operating Licensing Outreach Programme which was held July in line with the decision taken at the Provincial Taxi Indaba to deal with issues relating to fast-tracking of outstanding licence applications meeting compliance requirements.

Government has appointed four senior religious leaders from the South African Council of Churches in an effort to broker an agreement between the Alexandra Taxi Association and Alexandra‚ Randburg Midrand and Sandton Taxi Associations (Armsta) in an effort to prevent further violence.