The Quick Interview | Taxis harass Rea Vaya despite cop escorts

It has been almost two weeks since Rea Vaya suspended its 42 Soweto feeder buses after Soweto taxi association patrollers demanded it stop transporting passengers.

Last week, the company attempted to continue operating but commuters were allegedly removed from the buses despite being provided escort by metro police. 

Sowetan spoke to business rescue practitioner Mahier Tayob, who was roped in to save the company in December 2023, to discuss the business and the impact of having its fleet stuck in the depot.

Sowetan: Can you paint a picture of how Rea Vaya's books were when you came in and what is the status now?

Tayob: I inherited a bank account of minus R14,000 with 10 buses, four of which were damaged while six were limping, meaning stop-and-go and fixing on the road.  The company had over R100m in liability. Currently, we are between 90 and 100 buses. I have debtors of R50m and an average of R10m in the bank account. All the post commencement finance creditors have been paid and everyone under R300,000 has been paid as well in one year.

Sowetan: How long are you still going to be in the company?

Tayob: I wind down the business for 24 months and pay everyone and close Rea Vaya after 24 months, or I remain there for 72 months and rebuild the fleet. I was voted to stay for 72 months.  

Sowetan: The feeder fleet was suspended in November and again this year, how is it affecting business?

Tayob: It affects service delivery and competes with the objectives of the City [of Joburg]. It creates uncertainty among our drivers and havoc with our daily operations. The business rescue plan remains fragile as a result thereof.

Sowetan: What is the purpose of the metro police escorting drivers when they are still being denied the right to be on the road?

Tayob: Clearly, the issue of lawlessness prevails and until the government adopts a zero-tolerance approach, we may as well give up.

Sowetan: What does this mean to the workers driving these feeder buses? Will they still get paid normally or there will be salary reductions?

Tayob: I intend to preserve their payments as they are not the cause of the problem.

Sowetan: What is the real story with these 42 feeder buses that the taxi drivers are fighting over? We have always had local buses, why now?

Tayob: They are unhappy that these buses returned to the designated routes under my stewardship. They assumed the void left prior to business rescue entitles them to usurp the route.

Sowetan: What is the way forward if taxi people continue to disrupt operations?

Tayob: I have applied to court to finalise the interim interdict and to proceed with a contempt of court application against taxis. 

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