GEORGE NEWS - The Greater George Taxi Association (GGTA), led by chairperson Arnold Petersen, has submitted a memorandum to the Department of Mobility calling for urgent reform of George’s public transport system.

The group, which includes taxi operators, e-hailing drivers and scholar transport providers, raised their concerns about the alleged monopolisation by Go George, the exclusion of operators, permit delays, and a lack of consultation in planning processes, particularly around the Integrated Transport Plan (ITP), during a peaceful protest on Friday 17 April.

However, the department rejected their claims of exclusion, saying all legally registered taxi operators and associations in the George municipal area were included in surveys and assessments during the ITP’s compilation.

“The ITP is a planning document that the local authority, George Municipality, uses to plan and regulate the supply of public transport services. As part of the compilation of the ITP, investigations, assessments and surveys are done of all transport demand and supply, including all modes of transport and related infrastructure,” says Muneera Ali, head of communication for the Western Cape Mobility Department.

The draft plan was also made available for public comment, and open days were held for input.

Scholar transport

A major focus of the memorandum is scholar transport. According to the taxi association, learners are being left vulnerable due to limited services, route disruptions and the impounding of vehicles used for school transport. 

Concern has been raised in areas such as Blanco, where learners reportedly face long and unsafe travel conditions, often walking more than 3km to the nearest high school.

The department maintains that any transport service carrying passengers for payment must have a valid operating licence, and that enforcement is non-negotiable. 

“Any service transporting passengers for payment is classified as a public transport service. By law, no such service may operate without a valid operating licence,” says Ali.

Vehicles being operated illegally may be impounded pending investigation and prosecution.

The GGTA is calling for regulated and affordable scholar transport pricing, improved access to permits, and broader planning for safe, reliable access to schools. 

They have also demanded intervention from the department, a review of the ITP, and greater inclusion of all transport stakeholders in decision-making.

In response, the department said the municipality is responsible for transport planning and determining how different modes, including buses, taxis and e-hailing services, are operated. 

This is based on ongoing assessments of supply and demand, which inform operating licence decisions. Where routes are already adequately serviced, applications for new permits may be refused in line with the ITP.

Memorandums were handed to Mayor Browen Johnson, the Department of Education and the Department of Transport. The GGTA has given all three parties seven days to respond.

Taxi association registry declined

In the meantime, the Office of the Provincial Taxi Registrar has confirmed that an application submitted on 31 July 2024 to register the GGTA was formally declined after George Municipality said that there is no need for another taxi association in terms of its current ITP and could therefore not support the application.

All decisions are taken in consultation with municipalities and in accordance with approved transport planning frameworks.

The Department of Mobility has reiterated that applications to register new taxi associations must demonstrate a clear need, as informed by the ITP. Where such a need cannot be established, the application cannot be approved. These processes also include publication in the Government Gazette to allow for public comment.

Petersen formally challenged the decision, pointing to inconsistencies in the process. He said the application was submitted on 24 September 2024, not in July as indicated in the official response, raising concerns about procedural accuracy.

He further argued that the reliance on the ITP lacks transparency and that no substantive evidence or meaningful consultation with affected stakeholders was provided to justify the conclusion that there is no need for a new association.

The association has called for a reassessment of the application, including stakeholder engagement and a clear explanation of how the ITP applies in this case, warning that failure to address these concerns could result in the matter being escalated or pursued through legal channels.

Arnold Petersen addresses recipients of the memorandums outside the George Municipality on York Street following Friday’s protest march. Photos: Kristy KolbergGeorge Mayor Browen Johnson signs the memorandum he received from GGTA chairperson Arnold Petersen.‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’