Newly-sworn-in Mobility MEC, Ricardo Mackenzie has made one of his first power moves by establishing a taxi task team, that will work in adddressing the challenges faced by the taxi industry.

The team will comprise of representatives from the Province and the City, together with leadership of SANTACO-Western Cape.

Issues relating to operating licenses, training and commuter safety are some of the challenges set to be resolved by the team. MEC Mackenzie is expected to convene and chair the team on a weekly basis.

The establishment of the task team follows a meeting yesterday between Premier Alan Winde, MEC Mackenzie, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and representatives from the taxi industry, which resulted in the withdrawal of the planned minibus taxi industry stay away scheduled for today.

Mackenzie says the commitments made in the engagement indicate a
show of good faith from all sides.

“Through the Task Team, we will work together to address the challenges faced by the minibus taxi industry and ensure people can travel safely this week.”

Premier Winde says a sustainable solution to the grievances raised by the council must be found, because residents come first and they must be allowed to move around safely and reliably.

“It is not just about averting this strike, which I am thrilled we have been able to achieve at a time when our economy is struggling amid stage 6 loadshedding, it is also about improving public transport, making it an economic enabler to meet the growing needs of our growing population. In an environment where we are facing increasing congestion and a dysfunctional passenger rail system that is unable to ease problems in the mobility sector, a longer-term issue for us is: how we build an integrated public transport system that is the backbone and enabler of our economy and society. You the minibus taxi industry play a critical role in citizen mobility.”

ALSO READ: Taxi blockades against scholar transport condemned