Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi promises that the taxi industry will experience peace and prosperity under his leadership watch as he unveils his plans for the ‘Taxi Rank of the Future’ at the recently held Gauteng Taxi Industry indaba in Ekurhuleni.
The gathering sought to foster collaboration and develop effective solutions to enhance the efficiency, safety and sustainability of the taxi industry in the wake of a spate recent taxi violence in the province.
Lesufi said in order for the real estate to benefit the taxi industry in the province, government authorities must not approve any more new property developments, whether it’s residential, shopping centre or a hospital without the taxi industry being aware and supportive of it.
“You can’t approve a new development without the taxi industry being aware,” he said directing the instructions to his officials who attended the event.
The premier re-committed his government to addressing the taxi industry’s challenges by pointing out what he managed to achieve since he took office of the most industrious province in the country.
“I have created jobs that employed more 10 000 people who were previously unemployed as part of the 500 000 total jobs that I have committed to create going forward,” he added.
“The 500 000 jobs equal to 500 000 people who are going to use your taxis. This is how you create an economy,” he said.
Lesufi added that taxi ranks are important in the economic development of the province. “Taxi ranks are going to be a future economic spin-off. We would like to see our taxi ranks becoming the shopping centres of the future with appropriate ablution systems, ATM’s, repair points for taxis, restaurants, and proper facilities for our people to sit down waiting for taxis.”
Lesufi said he is humbled by the manner that both Gauteng SANTACO and NTA, now referred to as Gauteng Taxi Industry, are united and working together in harmony to transform the sector.
Friday Mali, Gauteng SANTACO’s chairperson commended Lesufi’s commitment efforts to help move the sector forward, adding that for the taxi industry to change for the betterment, “it must start from Gauteng”.
Mali’s counterpart from Gauteng’s GNTA, deputy chairperson Sabelo Moyo said he hoped that Lesufi is going to be reappointed as the Premier of the province after the elections as there’s srill more to be done.
“Premier we pray that they are going to retain you in your position as there is work in progress to be completed,” Moyo said referring to the post-election’s configuration of the new provincial government.
“As for the industry’s biggest shortcoming, it is a known fact that it lacks a comprehensive business model or framework to anchor its business activities beyond discussing Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) or government initiated projects, which often leads them to competing with corrupt politician sponsored BEE companies.”
This is why every Tom and Jill who wants to start a business uses the industry’s platforms for experimentation of ideas that had failed elsewhere or do not make commercial sense at all.
In the same breath, we also have to acknowledge that under the previous administration there had been provincial government departments that had forged a healthy working relationship with the taxi industry, such as Gauteng Provincial Government and KwaZulu-Natal just to mention a few.
However, we would like to see a taxi industry with a well-functioning leadership that doesn’t spend a lot of time and resources on public gatherings and endless summits. Ordinary operators would like to see tangible change driven by taxi leaders for their benefits at all levels of governance structures.
If there is anything taxi leaders need to worry about and seriously interrogate at this stage is how the industry is going to position itself in engaging the new government for the benefit of its members.
Taxi leadership must be prepared to adopt an open-minded approach when dealing with political heads of different government departments. Where there is change there exists a window of opportunity to influence the outcome in one’s favour.
It is on the basis of the abovementioned factors that the taxi industry should continue pressing ahead with its transformation agenda on issues such as taxi subsidy, operating licenses and meaningful broader economic participation, as well as lobbying and advocating for friendly taxi industry policies.
The taxi industry’s Transport Lekgotla Report contains and summarizes pertinent and legacy issues that the new government should prioritize when engaging the taxi operators.
This should serve a good start for new politicians when they interact and seek to understand broader taxi industry challenges.
