Municipality launches incentive programme for taxis

IN an innovative and bold move to support mini-bus taxi operators, associations and regional taxi leadership improve their business, operations and services to commuters, the eThekwini Municipality launched Moja Cruise, a Taxi Incentives Programme recently.

Celebrating the role of the mini-bus taxi industry in the delivery of public transport in South Africa through the decades, pioneered out of sheer necessity during the years of apartheid, the Mayor, Cllr Zandile Gumede, invited representatives of the taxi leadership, to become involved in this new programme.

She said the taxi industry has played an important historical role in public transport.

“We acknowledge this and thank the taxi owners and we invite them to continue to do so with us, within an improved system for the City,” said Gumede.

Gumede assured the taxi industry the Government will walk side-by-side with them in creating solutions to the challenges that they face as they usher in a new era for public transport.

“We have and will continue to engage with the leadership of the industry to develop a way in which operations can be improved and eventually incorporated within the new system,” she said.

Gumede explained that as the growing needs for cities across the globe to become more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable and, in line with the United Nation’s New Urban Agenda, the eThekwini Municipality will be rolling out GO!Durban, its long-term public transport plan, which includes the current public transport operators.

The launch revealed some of the details of the programme that will track vehicles and obtain feedback from the various structures like rank marshalls, associations and state-of-the-art tracking systems.

Eventually commuters will be asked to rate their experiences. This will all feed into a system that will reward the drivers and operators for excellence on a monthly basis.

Going forward, the City plans to develop public-private partnerships to support a bigger rewards programme to help add value to the business operations of the taxis such as discounts on tyres, services and insurance.

Preparations are in place to brief the industry ahead of the implementation of the programme towards the end of the year.

For more information about how to participate within the programme go to www.godurban.co.za

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