Eastern Cape transport dept urges scholar operators to reconsider shutdown

The Eastern Cape transport department has warned scholar transport operators they will face the full might of the law if they continue with their plans of a total shutdown in the province, planned for Thursday.

The planned shutdown, believed to be related to non-payment of services, is expected to leave dozens of pupils and commuters stranded.

Payment

Eastern Cape transport department spokesperson Unathi Binqose has warned that such a shutdown will infringe on people’s right of movement.

“It will also negatively impact on scores taxi operators, the overwhelming majority of whom depend on the taxi rank, have private contracts with parents to ferry learners or have contracts with companies to ferry their workers.

“The Eastern Cape Department of Transport wishes to assure the scholar transport operators and the public at large that the challenge is not with unavailability of funds, but rather some technical challenges that it continues to tackle,” Binqose said.

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Binqose said while the department takes a degree of responsibility for the delay, “some of it related to the “boycott of the signing of contracts by some operators when they were called do to so back in January and in February.”

“Part of it is down to challenges relating to Sars among some operators. To date, a sizeable percentage of legitimate invoices have already been settled, while outstanding and legitimate invoices will be paid during the cause of the month.”

Santaco not partaking

The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) in the Eastern Cape led by Chairman Bishop Yolelo said it will not partake in the shutdown.

“Whilst we acknowledge the existing challenges surrounding overall government regulation and support of our industry, we believe there should be more cordial avenues, pursued to ensure that harm isn’t caused as concerns are being registered.

“We confirm our concerns over the none payment of scholar transport service providers and that the matter is being attended to. We committed to ensure the safety of all commuters wishing to utilize our services with the help of law enforcement,” Yolelo said

Meanwhile, several East London schools will shut their doors on Thursday in anticipation of the planned shutdown by scholar transport operators.

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