Basil Nagel
The Cape Times news article on Page 3, “Taxi driver arrested as cop vehicles are stoned during protest” (October 6), has reference. The ongoing roadblock operation in Vrygrond/Capricorn is a necessary law enforcement action that is long overdue.
For six years we have raised our objection to the growing number of vehicles that operate illegally from this point of origin. Ten lives have been lost as a result of the illegal taxi operations in this area and we have expressed our outrage and demand for law enforcement for years.
It is alarming that Santaco (the SA National Taxi Council), saw fit to host a conference last month to address conflict between the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta) mother bodies operating on the same routes in the Western Cape.
They stepped in to ensure that both mother body organisations received a fair percentage of business and that conflict was avoided as a result of illegal operations on common routes.
What is amazing to note is that while it (Santaco) addresses these mother bodies with solutions to continue their trade, not a word is said about Cata and Codeta operating jointly and illegally on other associations’ routes. Suspended association, Codeta VTA (Vrygrond Taxi Association) operates illegally from Vrygrond/Capricorn, while the deregistered Cata-affiliated R52 (taxi association) operates with impunity in Westlake. The Cata and Codeta associations both operate illegally in these areas and on these routes.
Where is Santaco now to raise its concerns about the illegal operations of its members? It must please explain why it is silent on this subject when it comes to its members operating illegally in Cape Town Southern Suburbs.
The news article of October 6 indicates that illegal operators are clueless as to why they are being targeted – it appears “unfair” to them. They are targeted “without reason”.
If you still don’t understand why you are being dealt with by law enforcement, let me help you.
The Provincial Regulatory Entity saw fit to grant 10 licences to the Vrygrond Taxi Association (Codeta VTA) for operations which include three routes/destinations.
The A-point of the journey would be Vrygrond (Capricorn) to either Khayelitsha, Fish Hoek or the Eastern Cape.
Retreat Taxi Association among others raised strong objection, but agreed in principle that if Codeta VTA stuck to its routes and operating licence numbers (10), the surrounding associations could work together to ensure seamless taxi operations in the area (Vrygrond / Capricorn being a B-point for other associations who are also assigned to the route).
However, before long the 10 operating licences mushroomed to, by our count, 63 illegal operators joining the Codeta VTA operations. Codeta Vrygrond operates where it wants and when it wants.
Law enforcement, transport regulations and in general, the law, all take a back seat to an out-of-control and suspended organisation that is left unchecked by its overseeing body, Santaco.
Santaco must please explain:
l Why it is silent on its members (Codeta VTA) operating illegally in the Southern Suburbs.
l Why it entertains the idea of mother bodies.
l If mother bodies are to be entertained, are they in suburbs on routes belonging to other Santaco members, and why have they been left unchecked for the past six years?
The Provincial Regulatory Entity (PRE) and Taxi Regulator must also take responsibility for creating this mess in the first place.
Codeta VTA enjoys suspension by still being able to ply its trade wherever it pleases.
R52 (Westlake), a deregistered taxi association, continues its trade irrespective of its illegal status.
Can the PRE and the Taxi Regulator please explain and expand on the joint statement by Transport and Public Works MEC Donald Grant and Mayco member for Transport Brett Herron regarding the suspension of Codeta VTA.
Let me remind them:
“The decision to suspend followed the conclusion of two inquiries into the matter, conducted by the PRE in June 2013 and April 2014. It is thus dishonest of the Two Oceans Regional Taxi Council to suggest that nothing is being done. This administrative suspension will be reconsidered after the three months have lapsed only if the Vrygrond Taxi Association adheres to the following conditions:
l To refrain from interfering with the legal operations of any association or its members in the Vrygrond area.
l To refrain from extorting money from legal operators plying their trade in the Vrygrond area.
l To refrain from invading any existing routes served by legal taxi associations.
l To refrain from preventing any legal operator from exercising his or her right in terms of a valid operating licence.
l To refrain from the recruitment of new members not holding a valid operating licence.
l To refrain from providing minibus taxi services without holding valid operating licences or permits.
l To refrain from providing minibus taxi-type services contrary to the terms and conditions of operating licences.
l To refrain from intimidating and threatening public transport operators.
l To co-exist with Retreat Taxi Association (RTA) and Steenberg Taxi Association (STA) in the Vrygrond area, and to refrain from preventing members of the RTA and STA from using the Vrygrond taxi facility.
A task team, comprising representatives from the City, WCG, VTA, STA and RTA, will be immediately set up to monitor whether the VTA is adhering to these conditions.
Failure to comply will result in more drastic action being taken by the office of the Provincial Transport Registrar (again, in terms of the legislative framework).”
The above statement was published on June 26, 2014.
The RTA has never been invited to any task team, nor received any feedback on any monitoring process.
Codeta VTA has been operating illegally for the past six years with mayhem and violence preceding its entry onto new routes. The conditions set out as the operational conditions while under suspension and listed here, have never been adhered to, nor even addressed again with the affected parties.
Both the Two Oceans Taxi Council and the RTA conducted legal and approved marches in the City of Cape Town to raise their concerns. Memorandums were handed to the premier’s office, the mayor’s office as well as the Taxi Registrar’s office.
Nothing resulted from our efforts. The RTA, at its own cost, monitors the illegal activity of taxi operators in the Southern Suburbs, including reporting on illegal ranking, liaising with community policing forums, local neighbourhood watches and ratepayers’ associations. We provide a social media platform and a “taxi complaints” page on our website, www.reta. co.za/routes.
We engage complainants and do our best to answer questions that should really be channelled to the mayor’s office, SAPS or the Taxi Registrar. Our priority remains commuter safety and the safety of legitimate operators and other road users. We do all of this at our own cost and with our own resources.
We even prepared and organised the law enforcement meeting that should have taken place on July 6. The purpose of the meeting was to address the very issues around route invasion in the Southern Suburbs.
The invited officials didn’t bother to turn up.
My question to the mayor, the premier, Santaco and the provincial regulatory entity: Who will you blame when you discover that you are powerless against a raging tide of illegal operators, hell-bent on serving out a political agenda that has promised them rewards and riches for doing exactly what they are doing right now across the Western Cape?
Who will you blame?
l Nagel is Chairman of the Retreat Taxi Association. He writes in his personal capacity.