The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) in the province will be embarking on a mass stay-away next week, amid complaints that little is being done to speed up transformation in the public transport sector.
This announcement was made by the various taxi associations, under the SANTACO umbrella, that the service would not be functioning as usual on Monday and Tuesday.
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SANTACO threatened to go ahead with the protest action, which would see them taking 15 000 taxis, which transport some two million commuters, off the streets should provincial government opt not to go ahead with the Blue Dot Project at the end of the month.
Other demands include calls for by-laws that impound taxis to be reviewed and a commitment from the Western Cape government to support formalisation efforts by the taxi industry.
The funding of the Blue Dot Project, an initiative that incentivizes taxi operators to strive for better customer service and drive in a safe and responsible manner, was also high on the list of priorities.
The provincial government has hailed the Blue Dot Project as a success, but acknowledged that it could not continue with the initiative without the backing of the national government.
“Funding this programme is the mandate of the national department,” said provincial transport MEC Daylin Mitchell. “Where rail has almost collapsed in South Africa this programme shows how we can make a rapid intervention to improve the public transport industry – this pilot project shows how you can change the game.”
The taxi association encouraged commuters to make alternative transport arrangements. “We apologise for the inconvenience this action may cause.”
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Picture: Cape{town}Etc Library