Photo by: Creamer Media
Gauteng member of the executive council for roads and transport Jacob Mamabolo has urged the provincial leadership of the South African National Taxi Council to take measures to modernise the industry, his department said on Friday.
Mamabolo held a meeting with officials to discuss various challenges facing the minibus taxi industry across the Gauteng city region, particularly its competitiveness in an economy experiencing growth problems.
"Our most apex priority is to modernise the minibus taxi industry, which remains one of the biggest industries in our sector," Mamabolo said in a statement.
"We need to assist the industry so that it takes full advantage of other streams of business that are around the sector so that they don’t rely only on their vehicles for income."
He said the meeting was positive and laid solid ground for a healthy working relationship between the department of roads and transport and the minibus taxi industry.
Both parties agreed that violence and unrest were undermining efforts to make the sector more formalised and boost its contribution to the economy.
"We are very pleased with the reception that our message for a united and sustainable taxi industry is being received by stakeholders in the sector," Mamabolo said.
"There is a real opportunity to bring in innovation that will change the face of this important industry that was built by our people."