Urgent standing committee on taxi industry disruptions

POLITICAL NEWS - Today, Thursdday 29 July, the provincial Standing Committee on Transport and Public Works will meet with major stakeholders in the industry to review efforts to combat recent taxi violence and disruptions in the industry.

Residents have borne the brunt of this, including both the loss of life and in many cases, the means to travel safely to and from work, school, and health facilities.

The Committee will be briefed Minister Albert Fritz (provincial Community Safety), Minister Daylin Mitchell (provincial Transport & Public Works), the national Department of Transport, PRASA, SANTACO, SAPS, Golden Arrow and MMC JP Smith of the City of Cape Town’s Safety & Security Directorate.

MPP Ricardo Mackenzie says: “We are seeing welcome signs of stability and calm following the closure of the B97 route between Belville and Mbekweni. It is also promising to note the high levels of cooperation between the provincial government, SAPS, and the two other major providers of public transport, Golden Arrow and Metrorail, both of which have ramped up their daily services in light of the route closure.

This shows what can be achieved when all spheres of government and their entities, including the private sector, work together in the best interest of the commuter.

We also need to keep monitoring the justice aspect of this issue, which is why we support the Department of Community Safety’s Court Watching Brief in tracking the cases related to taxi violence.

There absolutely must be a strong signal that threatening or interfering in the safety of Western Cape residents will not be tolerated.

Still, we will seek further details from roleplayers in terms of next steps to bring about a more permanent solution to our public transport and safety concerns.

Residents will need access to all convenient, safe public transport choices so that we can get economic activity on track, take care of our loved ones, and make sure we have the means to get to important public spaces such as our schools and clinics.”