Creecy acknowledges economic pressures driving taxi speeding

In a candid address during the Easter Season Road Safety Campaign, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy expressed an understanding of the financial pressures that drive taxi drivers to speed, while emphasising the importance of road safety ahead of the Easter weekend.

Economic realities of taxi industry

Minister Creecy and Deputy Minister Hlengwa engaged with taxi drivers and commuters at Terminus Taxi Rank in the Eastern Cape on Monday as part of ongoing efforts to promote road safety.

EASTER SEASON ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN

Minister Creecy & Deputy Minister Hlengwa at Terminus Taxi Rank interacting with taxi drivers and taxi commuters as part of the ongoing endeavours to encourage road safety in the run up to the Easter Weekend#ItBeginsWithMe#ArriveAlive pic.twitter.com/KfwImIxEM1

— Department of Transport (@Dotransport) April 14, 2025

During her address, Creecy acknowledged the fundamental role taxis play in South African transportation.

“We value the taxi industry in our country, and we value the fact that more than eight out of 10 people are using the taxi industry to get to work, to school, and to attend all the other things that they must attend in their lives,” Creecy stated.

The minister displayed a surprising understanding of the economic challenges facing taxi operators, directly linking speeding behaviours to financial pressure.

“We know that many of you are paying [R]18 000 a month, [R]20 000 a month, [R]25,000 a month [in car instalments]. And because of that, you are not making money,” Creecy acknowledged.

“And the reason that you rush and the reason that you are driving fast is because you’re trying to get in more trips every day so that you can keep up with the repayments.”

ALSO READ: Gauteng taxi violence: 59 people killed since January

Government initiatives to support taxi industry

Creecy outlined three key issues her department is addressing with industry leadership.

First, they’re tackling crime affecting the sector, having recently met with the National Minister of Police and National Commissioner to request support in stabilising the taxi industry against criminal elements.

“In the week after Easter, the Minister of Police and the National Commissioner of Police will meet with your national leadership, Santaco and NTA, and hear first hand from them the problems that the industry is experiencing,” she promised.

The second issue involves taxi recapitalisation and financing costs.

Creecy explained that government officials are engaging with banks to “de-risk the industry” and reduce vehicle costs to ensure operators can maintain safe vehicles without financial strain.

“How do we reduce the cost of vehicles so that you are able to have new vehicles that are safe, but you don’t have to kill yourselves to try and make the repayments?” Creecy asked rhetorically.

The third focus area relates to permit duration, with Creecy noting the mismatch between permit validity and vehicle financing terms.

“We want to be able to align the duration of the permits with your repayment period. Because it doesn’t make sense that you get a five-year permit, but you’ve got a seven-year repayment,” she explained.

ALSO READ: Gauteng transport MEC to close taxi ranks for six months

Road infrastructure improvements

Taxi drivers during the interaction with the minister expressed discontent at the state of road infrastructure in Nelson Mandela Municipality.

One recounted fixing the torsion bar of his taxi twice — just this year alone — which he said was damaged due to the terrible state of the roads.

The taxi driver urged road management authorities to fix the roads, as they often get tickets for dysfunctional car parts acquired from road damage.

“We are crying as drivers; we have a lot of tickets. 90% of us here have tickets, some amounting to R90 000 to the municipality — that we don’t even know what the money is spent on because they do not fix the roads.”

Addressing infrastructure concerns, Creecy noted that Sanral has agreed to maintain over 1,000 km of provincial roads in the Eastern Cape that feed into national routes.

The minister also highlighted concerns about municipal road maintenance, stating that municipalities often return allocated infrastructure grants to the National Treasury instead of using them for road repairs.

“National Treasury gives money. It’s called the Municipal Infrastructure Grant. 17% or almost 20% of that Municipal Infrastructure Grant is for road maintenance. But what we find is municipalities give that money back to National Treasury year in, year out,” Creecy revealed.

ALSO READ: The unspoken language of Johannesburg, a guide to taxi gestures 

Easter weekend safety appeal

Turning to the immediate concern of Easter weekend travel safety, Creecy emphasised that dangerous driving is not limited to taxi operators.

“I am fully aware that many, many South Africans are bad drivers. Bad driving is not only in the taxi industry,” she acknowledged, recounting how they recently caught a motorist “doing 183km an hour in a 120 zone” on the N1.

The minister urged drivers to adhere to this year’s campaign slogan, “It starts with me”, recognising the interconnected nature of road safety.

“The way I drive affects you. The way you drive affects her,” Creecy explained.

She concluded with practical safety advice for the upcoming holiday weekend: “We want each and every one of you to arrive alive by the end of the Easter weekend,” urging drivers to observe speed limits, avoid texting while driving, refrain from drinking and driving, ensure passengers wear seatbelts, maintain vehicles properly, and take regular rest breaks during long journeys.

“We value you. We want you to be around for a long time. And we want you to work with us to make our roads safer,” Creecy concluded.

NOW READ: Time to bring taxi industry to heel