SA: Mahlalela: Opening Address by the Director-General in the Department of Transport, at the Cross Border Taxi Operators Conference, Pretoria Published 20 Oct 2010 Programme Director: Muthuhadini Madzivhandila CBRTA CEO: Mr Sipho Khumalo Reverend Themba Vundla: Dept of Transport Advocate Xaba from the NPA Government officials Officials from Transport Entities Representatives from the Taxi Industry Distinguished Guests Members of the Media Ladies and Gentlemen I must start by appreciating your presence here today. This conference which comes in the midst our 2010 Transport Month Campaign once again demonstrates the commitment of the South African Government in addressing transport challenges that faced our people and country as far back as a decade. When Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele officially launched this year's Transport Month Campaign in Durban last month he stressed the importance of advancing South Africa's transport infrastructure so that together with our neighbouring countries we can improve the regional economy through regional integrated transport infrastructure and systems. The special role played by rail, road, and aviation and maritime transport to drive our economy to greater heights cannot be overemphasized. To show our determination on cross border transport services yesterday we launched the Musina - Beit Bridge weigh bridge which will play a pivotal role in safe transportation of freight trucks and other vehicles that are facilitating the movement of goods and people between Zimbabwe, South Africa and other SADC countries. As Government we are committed to working tirelessly to address the short comings and loopholes in the interconnectivity of our regional transport networking systems. Due to increased transport movements between our borders it is pertinent that our transport entities such as the Cross Border Road Transport Agency, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) work on regional and cross border research and interventions that can enable regional transport operations such as taxis,
rail, trucks and buses to best operate across our borders. It is therefore of paramount importance that we lead and work closely with our regional counterparts in finding solutions to challenges that are deterrent and regarded as missing links in the connectivity of our transport operations. The purpose of this conference is mainly to formalize our taxi corridors, route based committees as per the Cross Border Act. Since June 2010, the CBRTA embarked on a successful process of establishing regional or route based taxi operators' committees in order to address matters of common interests and in setting platforms to formally engage with our operators or permit holders. The exception to this process is the Lesotho - South Africa route due to passenger transport challenges on the route. In fact it is in the best interest of the Government that the taxi industry shares its concerns and interests and to respond better and coherently to the empowerment of the industry. The industry must also take the opportunities available from Government to enable growth in their operations without them having to deprive travelers of their rights. Ladies and gentlemen, I must stress that the CBRTA in organizing this conference is not launching an alternative to SANTACO or some sort of a national body. What we will be doing in the next two days would be to formalize our relations with the entire Cross Border Taxi Industry. At the moment our relations are route-corridor based. The conference will at the end elect a Cross Border National Forum which will be the forum or platform which will continuously engage with the Agency with regard to challenges in the industry and beyond our borders and how to address these challenges. During the conference we will have various interventions on what we seek to achieve but we should try and put more emphasis on how we should achieve the following: " To develop a co-coordinated approach on cross-border road transport taxi operations; " To facilitate cross-border road transport efficiently and therefore contribute to improved market access and regional economic growth; " To raise awareness and to promote the Agency as a leading Regulator within the SADC region; " To structure the cross-border taxi industry I must say while as Government we welcome the operations and movements of taxis beyond our borders, it is in the best of those being transported and the operators that the movement is done in a way that benefits all parties involved. While taxi operations between South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique and Swaziland are satisfactory, operations between South Africa and Lesotho are marred with irregularities. We have noted through a Task Team report that the van Rooyen border post is based north of Lesotho. No ranking facilities are applicable at this border
as the illegal ranking facility was demolished and taxis relocated to the nearby town of Wepenaar. The 4+1 - private 5-seater vehicles and a few Toyota Venture vehicles are operating between the border post and Wepenaar which makes it an illegal operation as it is against the NLTA and the SACU Memorandum of Understanding and the Cross Border Act as amended. In addition these operators use an open space outside the border as a pick up and drop off point, rendering direct operation between Wepenaar and Mafeteng in Lesotho to be ineffective. As I stated earlier on, if taxi operations are NOT meeting the needs of travelers then it means we have serious problems within our cross border operations and urgent measures need to be taken. Along the Wepenaar - Mafeteng routes in Lesotho there are operational factors that we need to note and take into consideration so that at the end we devise ways of lessening the problems. For example no public passenger vehicles are allowed to cross borders. Passengers walk through the border on foot to connect to other vehicles or taxis to the surrounding villages for instance Mafeteng in Lesotho. Another example is that a passenger travels from Bloemfontein at a fee of R50.00, drops off at Wepenaar and uses a 4+1 for 10 Km at R5.00 to the border, crosses on foot and connects a taxi to either Mafeteng or other nearby villages in Lesotho at a cost of R7,50 for approximately 15Km. In total the above trip from Bloemfontein costs the passenger an average of R62.50 depending on the location or final destination; it can amount to R70 and involves 3 to 4 transfers. Ladies and gentlemen, we need to take note that a normalized cross border operation within the travel between Bloemfontein and Mafeteng or Wepenaar and Mafeteng would cost approximately R40.00 and R15.00 respectively depending on the destination of the traveler. This would also mean that the traveler would use only one taxi vehicle as opposed to 3 or 4 vehicles. There are 3 taxi associations operating to the border post and they all claim the "right" to the route as all have indicated to be in the possession of operating permits issued by the Free State Provincial Registrar. Cross Border Challenges As we engage and interrogate possible interventions during this conference, we need to assess various challenges and how to address them moving forward. On interviewing the operators and passengers, it was discovered that the taxi drivers did not possess valid passports and are not prepared to incur any costs to obtain the passports as they claimed owners do not make financial and time-off provisions to acquire passports. Therefore, the above leads them to engage in illegal operations up to the border posts. In addition there are no parking or ranking facilities at the border posts, making the situation ugly, unsafe and difficult to control during peak seasons or periods.
The above factors negatively affect the travelers more than any other involved party as it costs more to travel. It is inconvenient especially for elderly people travelling with goods such as groceries between the two countries. It was also noted that most of the vehicles conducting such illegal operations are unsafe, un-roadworthy and not fit for public passenger transport as outlined in the various legislations. Distinguished guests one of the key elements that I stressed at the Nepad Conference in Midrand last week is that South Africa and its neighbours can achieve increased volumes of trade if the border posts and ports of entry are designed in such a way that the traffic movements are safe, efficient and reliable. The Maseru Border post is the biggest and busiest border post between South Africa and Lesotho in terms of trade facilitation. Most passenger and goods operations between the two countries are conducted through this border due to the proximity to the capital city Maseru. On the South African side of the border post, there are two illegal taxi ranks situated within the border post, the first being at the border entrance and the second approximately 500 metres from the border post. The operations at the two mentioned points make it difficult for the free and smooth flow of operations in particular during peak periods. No cross border operations are allowed through this border due to the Free State operators refusing to allow any cross border operations between Maseru and the nearby Ficksburg town. Passengers are dropped off outside the border gate, cross over on foot through the South Africa and Lesotho borders and connect to the 4+1 vehicles on the Lesotho side of the border. Ladies and gentlemen, it is much of our concern as Government if taxi operators at this border post continue to put profit before human safety. The situation at this border is found to be inhuman, it poses a health hazard, it is prone to accidents and it inhibits the free flow of traffic and passengers between the two countries. There are various life threatening accidents involving trucks, buses and in some instances taxis have been reported at this border post due to congestions at the border mouth created by illegal ranking facilities. I must say that the findings I have mentioned and the prolonged state of road passenger operations between South Africa and Lesotho is very disturbing. In essence, these findings reflect the failure of the Free State Province to correctly resolve these challenges. The unruly behaviour by some of our operators within the Free State Province cannot be tolerated any longer. We cannot continue to be held hostage and render the province, country and region ungovernable due to certain elements or taxi associations and greedy individuals who do not want to obey rules and regulations of the country. This challenge ladies and gentlemen is also undermining our Foreign Aid policy. It also defeats the intentions of the SACU, SADC and African Union. The South African role and contribution towards the United Nations
Millennium Development Goals is severely affected by the taxi passenger operations between South Africa and Lesotho. To make matters worse it is a historically known fact that the majority of the Basotho people earn their living income in South Africa and most Basotho families including former South African liberation movement fighters have relatives in both countries especially the Free State Province of South Africa. In this regard, making main public transport sources ungovernable does not only defeat our political intention, but also destabilizes normal family lives and affects the economic relations between the countries. I am confident that Minister Ndebele will engage the Transport, Roads and Security officials in the Free State Province to co-operate and restore order, law enforcement and the free flow of public passenger traffic in the province. The Task Team members are ready to work with the Minister in this regard. Some of the solutions I have pronounced are not in any way intended to undermine any efforts of the Free State Provincial Government or our taxi operators but the point is that we cannot watch lawlessness and agents who continue to undermine our national mandate. The Task Team comprised of the CBRTA, the Department of Transport and officials from Provincial Governments resolved to conduct the remaining site visits and to report back on such before the end of Transport Month. In conclusion ladies and gentlemen, I must stress the point that as a country we are trying our level best at all spheres of Government to make sure that our public transport services should meet world standards by making investments in rail, bus rapid transit systems, such as the Rea Vaya buses, long distance Shosholoza trains, Prasa passenger rail transport and long and short distance taxi operations. But we cannot be complacent within our country if transport operations, especially taxi operations are a cause for concern at some of our border posts. How are we going to improve and promote trade and development with our neighbouring countries if our cross border transport operations pose a danger and threat to our travelers? I believe that through constructive engagement will all concerned parties we should be able to find solutions to these challenges, putting aside the motive to make profit without considering the joy and comfort of our travelers. It is only through improved and sustainable transport services and infrastructure and the determination to share resources that we can be able to meet our social and economic development objectives that will benefit the whole region. I thank you.