The African National Congress (ANC) on Wednesday claimed that calm has been restored to Mamelodi following days of violent attacks on government buses.
“We have also closely followed and noted that AutoPax bus service has ferried commuters peacefully and safely this week‚” the Gauteng branch of the ruling party said.
The ANC statement praised Gauteng Premier David Makhura and Tshwane Mayor Kgosientsho Ramokgopa “for providing hands-on and firm leadership to restore order by deploying the South African Police Services‚ Tshwane Metropolitan Police and ensuring the implementation of Operation Fiela”.
The statement also mentioned “national‚ provincial and local spheres of government for intervening collectively”.
The matter‚ however‚ is not resolved‚ as the ANC said: “We welcome ongoing talks in an effort to resolve the stalemate in Mamelodi.”
The violence came after the province’s department of roads and transport gave a three-month contract to state-owned Autopax to operate eight contracts routes previously run by Putco.
Putco abandoned these contracts‚ the ANC said‚ “as it felt these routes were not profitable”.
“The provision of bus services by AutoPax elicited a negative reaction from the taxi industry‚ which saw some taxis blockading the entrance to the bus depot in Mamelodi‚ preventing Autopax buses from operating particularly in Mamelodi‚” the ANC said.
The party also said it “condemns all acts of intimidation and violence which have occurred in Mamelodi”.
“It is also important to note that consideration is being made on the subsidisation of the mini-bus taxi business to assist them to become better organised and professional‚” the statement said.
This‚ however‚ contrasted with comments made by Gauteng transport MEC Ismail Vadi on Tuesday‚ saying the minibus taxi industry in Gauteng cannot be subsidised by provincial government because there is no provision in transport legislation that would allow it.
“The National Land Transport Act draws a distinction between a minibus‚ a midi-bus and a bus. A minibus can carry 10 to 16 passengers; a midi-bus 17 to 35. Once that legal distinction has been made‚ the national policy framework is that we will subsidise buses only‚” Vadi said.
“Once that decision is taken at national level‚ I cannot change it. No MEC in the country can change that because it is national policy.
Vadi also said the taxi industry could take over the routes abandoned by Putco if it were successful in an open bidding process.
“If the industry wants that share of the bus market they have to create a corporate entity. They can either acquire buses themselves‚ set up an operation and then tender as an operator. Or‚ when I open negotiations for all our bus contracts‚ they can come in and say: ‘We are an interested party’‚ and we will include them in the process. But that does not mean that‚ at the end of the day‚ they will get the contracts‚” Vadi said.
But a spokesman for the SA National Taxi Council in Gauteng‚ Ralph Jones‚ disputed Vadi’s view‚ maintaining that the National Land Transport Act allows for subsidies to all those providing public transport services.
’The [act] stipulates that existing public transport services [including taxis and buses] be incorporated into an integrated public network in terms of contracts [negotiated‚ subsidised or commercial contracts] with the municipal planning authority. This is per section 41(2) of the act‚” said Jones
ANC: Calm returns to Mamelodi‚ but obstacles remain to resolution
The African National Congress (ANC) on Wednesday claimed that calm has been restored to Mamelodi following days of violent attacks on government buses.
“We have also closely followed and noted that AutoPax bus service has ferried commuters peacefully and safely this week‚” the Gauteng branch of the ruling party said.
The ANC statement praised Gauteng Premier David Makhura and Tshwane Mayor Kgosientsho Ramokgopa “for providing hands-on and firm leadership to restore order by deploying the South African Police Services‚ Tshwane Metropolitan Police and ensuring the implementation of Operation Fiela”.
The statement also mentioned “national‚ provincial and local spheres of government for intervening collectively”.
The matter‚ however‚ is not resolved‚ as the ANC said: “We welcome ongoing talks in an effort to resolve the stalemate in Mamelodi.”
The violence came after the province’s department of roads and transport gave a three-month contract to state-owned Autopax to operate eight contracts routes previously run by Putco.
Putco abandoned these contracts‚ the ANC said‚ “as it felt these routes were not profitable”.
“The provision of bus services by AutoPax elicited a negative reaction from the taxi industry‚ which saw some taxis blockading the entrance to the bus depot in Mamelodi‚ preventing Autopax buses from operating particularly in Mamelodi‚” the ANC said.
The party also said it “condemns all acts of intimidation and violence which have occurred in Mamelodi”.
“It is also important to note that consideration is being made on the subsidisation of the mini-bus taxi business to assist them to become better organised and professional‚” the statement said.
This‚ however‚ contrasted with comments made by Gauteng transport MEC Ismail Vadi on Tuesday‚ saying the minibus taxi industry in Gauteng cannot be subsidised by provincial government because there is no provision in transport legislation that would allow it.
“The National Land Transport Act draws a distinction between a minibus‚ a midi-bus and a bus. A minibus can carry 10 to 16 passengers; a midi-bus 17 to 35. Once that legal distinction has been made‚ the national policy framework is that we will subsidise buses only‚” Vadi said.
“Once that decision is taken at national level‚ I cannot change it. No MEC in the country can change that because it is national policy.
Vadi also said the taxi industry could take over the routes abandoned by Putco if it were successful in an open bidding process.
“If the industry wants that share of the bus market they have to create a corporate entity. They can either acquire buses themselves‚ set up an operation and then tender as an operator. Or‚ when I open negotiations for all our bus contracts‚ they can come in and say: ‘We are an interested party’‚ and we will include them in the process. But that does not mean that‚ at the end of the day‚ they will get the contracts‚” Vadi said.
But a spokesman for the SA National Taxi Council in Gauteng‚ Ralph Jones‚ disputed Vadi’s view‚ maintaining that the National Land Transport Act allows for subsidies to all those providing public transport services.
’The [act] stipulates that existing public transport services [including taxis and buses] be incorporated into an integrated public network in terms of contracts [negotiated‚ subsidised or commercial contracts] with the municipal planning authority. This is per section 41(2) of the act‚” said Jones
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