Another week in the life of the minibus taxi industry with 51 buses torched, two bus drivers assassinated and 14 killed in a head-on collision. Chris Barron asked department of transport deputy minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa ...
Q: Is this an industry that’s gone rogue?
A: No, I wouldn’t say that. In fact, it requires continued support and engagement. More than 80% of our commuters are using taxis.
Q: Is the industry serving them well?
A: I think the industry, particularly at a leadership level, is trying its best to put in place checks and balances and controls to improve the nature and quality of its work.
Q: So what do you think about the assassination of bus drivers, torching of buses and daily mayhem on our roads?
A: I think there is a need for law enforcement agencies to investigate substantively what is at the coal face of this violence. Secondly, we need to ensure that we prioritise the safety of commuters and competitors of the taxi industry.
Q: Will you be working more closely with law enforcement?
A: As the ministry, we have escalated the bus torchings to Natjoints for their urgent, priority attention, and for the full co-operation of the taxi industry. I believe it is in their interests to work with law enforcement to root out the elements and players who are giving the industry a bad name, and conducting themselves in a manner that is inconsistent with the law. The allegations deserve urgent attention. We also need to look at how we maximise the use of the taxi recapitalisation fund to reduce repayment costs for new taxis, because that’s why they rush on the road. They’re trying to cover the debt gap.
Q: Are you saying that’s an excuse for the head-on collisions?
A: No, it’s not being placed as an excuse, we’re raising it as a contributory factor.
Q: And a reason why taxpayers must pay for their taxi upgrades?
A: Well, we’ve got a budget allocation for taxi recapitalisation every year. It has got high levels of under-expenditure and we need to find ways within National Treasury regulations to maximise its use. It’s part and parcel of ensuring that we create safety on our roads. But driver enhancement by the taxi industry is of critical importance, to make sure we’ve got the right drivers behind the steering wheel.
Q: This is about proper regulation of the industry by your department, isn’t it?
A: It’s about proper regulation, it’s about consequence management on our part for drivers who should not be on the roads. This is why the implementation of Aarto (Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences) is important, and we’ve revised the timelines for that.
Q: You think Aarto will bring consequence management?
A: It’s part of the basket of solutions. It’s about hitting the pocket.
Q: Of poorly paid drivers or rich owners?
A: The driver has a responsibility as the driver, and the taxi industry has a responsibility to ensure they too come to the party as an industry which has the financial resources to ensure they’ve got the right drivers and the right vehicles.
Q: That’s clearly not happening, is it?
A: This is something that is receiving our attention as a new ministry — to engage with the taxi industry and engage with our traffic law enforcement to ensure that things that were not being done, actually get done.
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