South Africa’s Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula launched the National Taxi Lekgotla Public Discourse platform on Thursday, saying that the taxi sector should be properly regulated and transformed to be a major economic player.
The Taxi Lekgotla Public Discourse aims to create a platform for sustained momentum and public engagement towards the National Taxi Lekgotla, planned to take place at the end of October 2020.
“The National Taxi Lekgotla will be about re-imagining a taxi industry of the future, where it is a major player in the economy,” Mbalula said.
He said running the taxi industry as a business that complies with labor and taxi regulations was key.
“Creation of a business value chain that is entirely owned by the taxi industry with strict conditions to comply with tax and labor laws alongside conduct that reinforces unity,” he said.
Mbalula said a number of options were being looked at, particularly the establishment of a bank for the sector.
“Various options are being considered which include either establishing a national co-operative bank owned by the taxi industry or establishing a national private company that will participate in economic activity,” he said.
The minister said this was also an opportunity to tackle some of the existing challenges facing the sector including violence.
” Many critical challenges remain and require collective wisdom to tackle them in a decisive manner,” Mbalula added.
