The HOD for the Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison, Rodney Pieterse is working hard to ensure the identified corruption in the issuing of operating permits for mini busses and other pertinent challenges for the industry are properly dealt with.
“We are currently cleaning out the system and rectifying the wrongs pertaining to the issue of permits,” said Pieterse.
Another key figure within the South African transport fraternity, Northern Cape MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA), the recently appointed MEC for Transport Safety and Liaison Bentley Vass promised taxi operators at a meeting held recently held with Northern Cape SANTACO leaders that no stone will be left unturned in his mission to clean up the mess in the local taxi industry.
According to the spokesperson for the MEC of Coghsta, Babalwa Mzambo, “taxi industry leaders and government officials discussed regulatory compliance and road safety, the financial sustainability of taxi operators, as well as the mushrooming of illegal operators.”
Other issues of importance discussed, Mzambo said, include the issuing of illegal permits, decentralising of licensing satellite offices and the operation of the Provincial Regulatory Entity.
Taxi operators also expressed their frustration over the lack of progress in implementing the recommendations of the report of the Public Service Commission (PSC) and Public Protector investigation reports into allegations of bribery, improper conduct and maladministration in the awarding of taxi permits between 2016 to 2022.
Abie Van Wyke, a taxi operator from Kimberly says the action taken by the department to fight corruption and illegal issuing of operating licenses is a welcomed move.
“As taxi operators we were getting frustrated over lack of action in dealing with corruption reported in the Public Protector’s report,” Van Dyke said.
He pointed out that the recent suspensions and arrests of government officials allegedly fingered in irregular issuing of taxi permits is a right step in the right direction to fight corruption and maladministration in the department.
Taxi operators have also been complaining about the oversupply of vehicles as a result of double registration often leading to route dispute and piracy.
To address the situation, Cognta has committed to implementing corrective and preventative measures in cleaning up the entire system, including gazetting for all 4,000 operating permits applications in a move aimed at promoting transparency and preventing corruption.
