Starting Monday, 14 August, the newly appointed Minibus-Taxi Task Team, comprising representatives from the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape government, and the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), will jointly seek agreement on how to implement the impound laws covered under the National Land Transport Act (NTLA) that started a wave of violent protests earlier this month.
The Task Team will be responsible for drawing up a list of major and minor offences for which public transport vehicles can and can not be impounded going forward, which rely on the condition of there being no future resumption of taxi-related violence.
The City and the provincial government calls upon all stakeholders to uphold their commitments as listed in the exact terms of the agreement reached by the City, the provincial government, and Santaco, so as to ultimately prevent a repeat of the violent disruptions.
“It is critically important that there is no ambiguity or confusion regarding the exact terms of the agreement that led to the resolution of the recent eight-day minibus-taxi strike,” it said.
“Misrepresentations of these terms create a very serious risk of confrontation between enforcement staff and taxi drivers. We call on Santaco to correctly reflect the precise terms of what was agreed.”
Terms of Agreement
For the next 14 days, the Task Team will deliberate as to what road infractions should be regarded as major offenses for which a vehicle can be impounded, and what are considered minor infringements, with appropriate penalties.
This investigation will form a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that will guide the province’s law enforcement personnel as per the NTLA and operating license conditions.
“The City’s unwavering commitment to commuter safety means that all traffic offences impacting on safety should remain classified as major offences,” it said.
To this end, Cape Town will continue to impound vehicles for the following reasons:
- “Inadequate” roadworthiness
- Operating outside permitted routes
- Operating without a valid operating license
- Operating without a Public Driver’s Permit
- Driver does not have a valid driver’s license
“It is important to emphasise that the City must be in agreement with Santaco regarding what offences are regarded as minor,” it said in the statement.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has therefore invited Santaco to submit specific cases of vehicles that it claims have been impounded for minor offences. In these cases, the City will make representations to the Public Prosecutor for the release of these impounded vehicles only.
Regarding strike protocols and resolutions, Santaco has committed to a minimum of 36 hours’ notice before initiating future strikes. This is to prevent a repeat of the last strike’s consequences where stranded commuters had to walk home.
Additionally, a dispute escalation and resolution clause will be established, allowing matters to be taken to the Western Cape Premier and Cape Town’s Mayor before strike action.
“It must be reiterated that this entire agreement hinges on the prevention of taxi-related violence. Any revival of such violence will nullify the agreement,” announced the City’s media office.
The Western Cape Minister of Mobility, Ricardo Mackenzie, called upon Santaco’s leadership to communicate with its members to prevent the spread of incorrect public statements and other misinformation.
“This misinformation is creating unnecessary panic and safety risks for commuters, who have a right to safe and dignified transport. All of us must put commuters first, as we move forward from the strike,” he said.
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