Muni, taxi associations sign memo of understanding
The signing followed several meetings held between the taxi associations and the municipality on the role the taxi drivers would play in the new transport system.
POLOKWANE – It was with mixed emotions that different taxi associations signed a memorandum of agreement between themselves and the Polokwane Municipality last Thursday.
The signing ceremony was held at Bolivia Lodge and was attended by the mayor Thembi Nkadimeng, municipal manager Constance Mametja, the South African National Taxi Association (Santaco) secretary, Solly Ledwaba and five representatives of different taxi associations.
The signing followed several meetings held between the taxi associations and the municipality on the role the taxi drivers would play in the new transport system.
The implementation of the project will be phased and phase one seeks to integrate the public transport system within the 20km Seshego – Polokwane central business district radius. It will potentially carry 50 000 commuters on the dedicated Nelson Mandela Drive route per day.
“This phase will deliver dedicated lanes, stations, branded vehicles, fare collection systems, predictable travel schedules, reliability, affordability, identity and image, safety and security, capacity and universal accessibility,” Nkadimeng said.
Ledwaba said the signing of the memorandum was a positive step forward and he hoped that this meant an end to the hard road behind that had to be travelled by the municipality and the different taxi associations.
He further said that when it came to the new system, Santaco also needed a few things from the municipality.
These included:
• That there were specific fleets of taxis used for the system and that the different taxi associations would be used to run the taxis.
• That the taxi drivers and other personnel be better off financially than they currently were.
Nkadimeng agreed and said she was committed to the process and establishing resources and infrastructure for the system. She said this project would be her test and she was willing to do everything possible to make it a success.
