Editorial: Bus deal invites major scepticism

ALTHOUGH it appears to be good news and a step in the right direction for Nelson Mandela Bay’s public transport system, it is not unreasonable to carry a healthy dose of scepticism about the city’s latest deal with taxi operators over the bus system.

Last week, deputy mayor Bicks Ndoni announced that city leaders and taxi bosses had struck an agreement to pay R5.5-million to the industry, a move they hope will resolve a long-standing dispute and hopefully pave the way for the Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS) to finally take off.

If approved by council, the deal would see 59 taxi operators whose vehicles were impounded in 2013 to create a commuter market for the buses on the Summerstrand route, paid out R5.5-million.

Thereafter the national Department of Transport would give the city R186-million which has to be used by June 30, in order to roll out the system on certain routes.

There can be no doubt that a working and efficient IPTS is essential to improving our city’s public transport system and ultimately our economy.

Therefore any indication that this long-awaited project would soon be a reality is good news which we all ought to be elated about.

However, we have been here before.

Deals have been struck, agreements signed, hundreds of millions of rands have been spent and yet buses are not on the road.

While by their very nature such deals have limited guarantees, there are pertinent questions requiring answers regarding this agreement.

For example, when taxis are again taken off the road to make way for the buses, how will the metro and taxi bosses ensure that operators resist the temptation to continue working on the routes competing with the buses?

Public confidence in this project is at an all time low.

It will take more than a signature on a dotted line to restore its credibility.