Question NW2154 to the Minister of Transport
30 June 2023 - NW2154
Sithole, Mr KP to ask the Minister of Transport
Given that there have been violent tensions between taxi drivers and private service providers such as Uber drivers over routes and customers in some parts of the Republic, what stakeholder meetings has her department held to bring the warring groups to a working agreement that works for them and their commuters who are members of the public?
Reply:
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- Provinces are managing operations between all taxi services in the different provinces and that involves the relations between the taxi drivers and Uber drivers. Where there are violent tensions between the taxi service operators, the provinces intervene and involve the law enforcement authorities as those would be criminal matters.
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- It is prudent to mentioned that my predecessors have had a number of engagements with the taxi industry stakeholders to quell the violence and conflict that exist in this industry. That is, the Department had several meetings with taxi operators, e-hailing drivers and App companies (i.e. Uber and Bolt) as follows:
- The Department (the then Minister of Transport, Mr Maswanganyi) met the Minister of Police (Mr Fikile Mbalula) to discuss the taxi violence and thereafter convened a meeting with e-hailing drivers, App companies and metered taxi operators on 28 July 2017, Centurion;
- Then, the Department met with operators and provincial Department of Transport in Sandton, Gautrain Station, to deal with the violence that occured there;
- Former Ministers (Mr Blade Nzimande and Mr Fikile Mbalula) engaged affected stakeholders including cities and SANTACO. Then, the National Task Team (NTT) comprising of SANTACO, Metered Taxis, App companies and e-hailing drivers was established. The NTT had several meetings to deal with the matter at hand; and
- The Minister issued a media statement to denounce acts of taxi violence which transpired in the vicinity of the Maponya Mall, Soweto on Friday, 02 June 2023. In no distant future, the Department will, once more, engage the affected stakeholders to serious implore all stakeholders to desist from doing the violent act and co-exist for the beneficial of passengers.
- It is prudent to mentioned that my predecessors have had a number of engagements with the taxi industry stakeholders to quell the violence and conflict that exist in this industry. That is, the Department had several meetings with taxi operators, e-hailing drivers and App companies (i.e. Uber and Bolt) as follows:
3.2 The National Land Transport (NLT) Amendment Bill has been passed by the National Assembly and it is undergoing the National Council of Provinces processes. Once signed into law by the President, the Department will introduce the regulations to regulate the e-hailing services to bring into effect the level playing field. This process has been started and it is undertaken in parallel to the process of the NLT Amendment Bill.
3.3 A declaration was signed during the National Taxi Lekgotla, where the taxi industry and all other stakeholders rejected violence and pledged to work with government to ensure that peace and stability prevails within the taxi industry sector.