Durban - A row has erupted over an eThekwini Municipality proposal to reward the city’s notoriously errant taxi operators and minibus drivers.
A detailed report on the plan was tabled before Wednesday’s final council meeting for the outgoing term. The programme follows a lengthy stalemate after taxi operators brought the construction of the R22 billion Go!Durban project to a standstill when taxi workers invaded construction sites, threatening violence.
The city maintained that the programme was to “improve the quality of public transport”.
Municipal manager S’bu Sithole said in the report that it was “necessary that other programmes be considered to ensure that service standards improved across the city, and that empowerment programmes be initiated”.
An added advantage would be “the reduction of focus and risk for the implementation of the Integrated Rapid Public Transport Network”.
Strict criteria for drivers
Operators and drivers would have to meet stringent “qualifying criteria”.
Vehicles would have operating licences, would have to be roadworthy and there would be formalised conditions of employment of drivers and other employees.
There should also be a maintenance programme for vehicles. A deal could be negotiated with dealerships to support a programme for training of mechanics.
Vehicles would also have to be fitted with tracking devices, while drivers would need an appropriate driver’s licence as well as an up-to-date PrDP (professional driver permit).
Vehicles would have to be “dispatched from ranks at regular intervals to improve predictability of service to passengers”.
Taxis could not be overloaded and could not exceed the speed limit or be driven recklessly. Drivers should not play loud music.
Penalties would be imposed.
The project would “facilitate the empowerment of existing operators; and promote black economic empowerment and enterprise development”.
What’s in it for operators?
The report says qualifying operators would receive R1000 a month for each vehicle of the 500 that would be part of a pilot programme. The number of vehicles would increase to 5000 in the 2017/18 financial year and 7000 in the following year.
City taxi operators would receive R8000 to co-ordinate the project. Only three associations would participate initially this year, increasing to 56 next year and 112 in the third financial year.
Regional offices of the taxi industry would receive R5000 to co-ordinate the associations. Drivers of the month, and runners-up of the five regions would receive R3000 and R1500, respectively.
Infighting fears
Opposition parties were unanimous in dismissing the proposal, arguing that it would cause further infighting in the industry. There were also questions about how the project would be funded and sustained.
DA provincial and eThekwini caucus leader Zwakele Mncwango said the municipality had no business in interfering with the taxi industry.
“If you run a business, you compete with the service or the price. It is a good thing to encourage business to give a good service, but you can’t pay people to do the right thing,” he maintained.
The project would cause “more problems” for the troubled industry, he warned.
“Once you pay one association, they will start to accuse each other over who is getting paid. What criteria will you use to choose for this pilot project?”
Mdu Nkosi of the IFP said the project would create a precedent for other road users.
“You are incentivising the taxi industry, but what if the bus people come and ask: Why not us?” There’ll be chaos,” he said.
The provincial and national treasuries would want to know where the money would come from.
The Mercury
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