By Akani Nkuna
The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) has condemned a planned protest by scholar transport operators and service providers, saying the action does not have majority backing within the taxi industry and will not disrupt normal public transport services.
“SANTACO Gauteng has noted media reports regarding a potential shutdown by scholar transport operators. We wish to make it categorically clear that this action does not involve the broader taxi industry and will not affect normal public transport services provided by our members,” the council said on Thursday.
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SANTACO urged law enforcement to be on “high alert”, stressing the need to ensure the protest does not escalate into “intimidation, disruptions or unlawful interference with normal taxi operations”.
“The rights of those who choose to protest must be balanced with the rights of commuters and operators who wish to continue working,” SANTACO said.
The protest, led by Gauteng Education Transport Services (GETS), is expected to highlight challenges facing scholar transport operators, including regulatory uncertainty, compliance requirements and the sustainability of learner transport services.
The dispute comes as enforcement has intensified on scholar transport following the deadly Vanderbijlpark crash involving a learner transport vehicle in January, in which 14 schoolchildren were killed.
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In an interview with Inside Metros, GETS Deputy General Secretary Pilane Ramarutsi said the demonstration would be taken to the offices of the Gauteng premier, as well as the provincial MECs for education and transport, in protest against the regulatory framework.
He said operators were frustrated by delays in the issuing of operating licences, a process managed by the provincial Department of Transport (DoT). Despite having receipts showing they had applied and were awaiting the licences, he said vehicles were still being impounded.
“Law enforcement is still impounding vehicles even if the members have the receipt for the operating licence,” Ramarutsi reiterated.
Ramarutsi said the protest aimed to pressure the transport MEC to reverse a directive that vehicles operating without licences be impounded. He said grace should be extended to operators who can show proof of application.
“The MEC can still revoke the instruction that law enforcement should impound vehicles that does not have operating licences but they have the receipts. Those that did not apply, we cannot speak on their behalf because the application process was opened and people were supposed to apply,” Ramarutsi added.
“Those that did not do so, we are not going to stand on their behalf.”
Ramarutsi said the protest would not interfere with the taxi industry’s day-to-day operations.
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