Cape Town - After successfully facilitating the signing of an agreement between rival taxi associations in the Bitou municipality, the provincial department of transport and public works (DTPW) said it now wants to broker peace between associations in Cape Town.
Transport and Public Works MEC Daylin Mitchell announced the deal in Bitou, saying that his department had entered into the agreement with the Provincial Regulatory Entity (PRE), the Provincial Taxi Registrar, Bitou Municipality Uncedo Taxi Association and Plettenberg Bay Taxi Association.
“The signing of this agreement is confirmation of the willingness of both associations to co-exist and to respect operating rights and to consult one another on matters of mutual interest.”
The agreement comes after the Plettenberg Bay Taxi Association launched an application in the Western Cape High Court in 2019 seeking interdictory relief against the Uncedo Taxi Association.
“The PRE and DTPW were cited as respondents in the matter. The parties eventually agreed to postpone the matter pending the outcome of an inquiry conducted by the PRE in terms of Regulation 9(2) of the National Land Transport Regulations. The inquiry was conducted in 2020, and the report was released to all parties in March 2021,” Mitchell said.
He said following the release of the Regulation 9(2) inquiry, DTPW officials worked with the two associations and their legal teams to draw up an operational agreement that would protect the interests of both parties.
“It is well-known that the taxi industry in the Western Cape has been marred by ongoing violence, damage to property, and a loss of lives. This agreement will be made an order of the court, and as a department, we want to replicate this process elsewhere in the Western Cape.”
While certain routes in the Bitou Municipality will be mutually exclusive, there will still be routes the associations would jointly operate.
“We are confident that the parties have agreed on a system of operation that will ensure sustained peace and stability. We will review this agreement every seven years to respond to changes in operational dynamics,” Mitchell said.