The Competition Commission has launched a market inquiry into the public passenger transport sector following numerous complaints relating to public transport in the country.
The ‘Public Passenger Transport Market Inquiry’ was recently published in the Government Gazette and the commission is now calling for submissions.
The scope of the inquiry includes price setting mechanisms, price regulation, transport planning, allocation of subsidies, route allocation and licensing requirements.
“The commission seeks to understand the market dynamics across the entire value chain,” it said in a statement on Monday.
The commission noted that it had identified road and rail public passenger transport, including minibus, localised and metered taxis, app-based taxi services, Metrorail and the Gautrain, as relevant for the inquiry.
The commission has published guidelines that contain the rules of participation that will apply to all stakeholders who wish to participate in the proceedings of the inquiry.
The guidelines outline who may participate and how they may submit information, the treatment of confidential information, the administrative activities of the inquiry and the powers available to the commission.
Further, the commission has published a call for submissions for stakeholders and the public to provide evidence and information that will assist it to formulate sound recommendations.
Submissions, which close on August 24, should be detailed and views or opinions should be substantiated. Stakeholders are also invited to submit data and information that is relevant in assessing the state of competition in the industry.
Information and documents related to the market inquiry can be accessed at www.compcom.co.za under the Public Passenger Transport Inquiry tab.