Taxi industry gets R20m boost
This will see taxi monitoring in the open after a massive vehicle donation.
Two of the donated vehicles.
The frosty relations between the taxi industry, government road safety agencies and the public may soon improve.
This following a recent donation worth over R20 million of vehicles to the taxi industry by their financier SA Taxi for use in patrols by regional, provincial, and national taxi associations and the Cross-Border Transport Organisation, Alex News reports.
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The tripartite relationship soured over among others, bad conditions of taxis and infringements of road and traffic regulation, posing safety concerns to commuters and other motorists.
In a statement, Maroba Maduma of SA Taxi said the vehicles will assist the associations to entrench road safety, reduce conflict and boost self-regulation, in the process improving the relations and contribute to the development and sustainability of the enterprise.
The initiative sealed with the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) and the National Taxi Alliance (NTA) is expected to strengthen the industry’s ability to self-regulate and monitor members in safety on the roads, reduce conflict among taxi operators and friction with law enforcement agencies.
“Also, the vehicles will be used in road safety campaigns in partnership with government agencies like the Road Traffic Management Corporation,” the statement read.
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