‘Poor roads are damaging our taxis’



Driving on gravel roads in the townships and northern areas in Nelson Mandela Bay is costing taxi operators.
The poor road infrastructure is causing their vehicles to deteriorate and become unroadworthy, taxi operators told transport MEC Weziwe Tikana.
Speaking to Tikana at an IPTS roadshow on Thursday to raise awareness of Transport Month, the operators also said the Transport Act gave the municipality too much power.
Uitenhage district taxi association chair Siyanda Mbanjwa said: “As the taxi industry we undertook to go on strike three weeks ago and we voiced our dissatisfaction, including issues around routes, scholar transport and operating licences.
“When we apply for operating licences, it dictates that it be gazetted [by the provincial government], and the municipalities where we will operate have to comment.”
He said this meant the municipalities could refuse operating licences based on their plans and programmes.
“In most cases, municipal programmes take forever. For example, the IPTS took over a decade to see the light of day.
“If we are to wait for municipalities we won’t be able to conduct business,” he said.
Mbanjwa called for the Act to be amended while the city fixes the roads.
“Our vehicles are expected to be roadworthy but the infrastructure is below par. You buy a vehicle today and two years later it is no longer roadworthy.
“When I addressed this with the previous portfolio head, I was told the road was meant to be tarred. However, the gravel road was ‘one of the best’. We appreciate mediocrity in this institution.”
Helenvale ward committee member David Mentoor said bus shelters for the IPTS buses were too far for the elderly.
“Old people have to walk far to go to the bus stops and catching a taxi to the feeder taxis means we have to pay to get to the bus and old people don’t have the money,” he said.
Mentoor also said potholes were a danger to pedestrians.
He said his wife had broken a bone after she tripped in a pothole while they were walking to church.
The roadshow started at 5am with a visit to a taxi rank and a ride on the IPTS buses.
Tikana urged the municipality to use money generated from tickets to repair roads.
“The comments have been noted and the issues will be attended to,” she said.
Tikana said permit conditions applied until legislation was changed, and taxi operators needed to engage their representatives to lobby in Bhisho on legislative matters.
Roads and transport political head Rosie Daaminds said it had issued an instruction to senior officials to come up with a turnaround strategy to speed up implementation of government programmes.
“Another area of focus will be monitoring officials’ performance. Our performance monitoring tools need to be sharpened as a matter of urgency.”
Infrastructure and engineering head Andile Lungisa and mayor Mongameli Bobani also attended the roadshow.

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