Share

Joburg taxis make way for buses

Johannesburg - Roughly 550 minibus taxis will be scrapped or removed from Johannesburg roads to make way for the city's new bus system, officials said on Monday.

There would be no job losses as taxi drivers would be retrained as bus drivers, the Johannesburg taxi industry's Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) steering committee told a press briefing.

"The agreement with government is that there may be no job losses," said executive member of the committee Babu Maharaj.

The affected drivers could expect better salaries and formal benefits as they would be part of the bus industry.

The committee also called on the city's taxi operators to be part of negotiations involving a possible R2.5bn contract with the city. It was currently thrashing out a contract for operators to own the first phase of the BRT system over the next 12 years.

The first phase of the BRT was expected to be in place by June 1 2009. It would run from Regina Mundi church in Soweto, past the Orlando and FNB stadiums and end at Ellis Park stadium.

Maharaj said he was very confident the industry would reach an agreement with the city of Johannesburg.

"We have received the amount of kilometers that the buses will run. We are just waiting for their timetable," he said.

- Sapa

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
19.08
-0.9%
Rand - Pound
24.03
-0.6%
Rand - Euro
20.57
-0.5%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.38
-0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.9%
Platinum
890.97
-0.7%
Palladium
988.99
-1.3%
Gold
2,195.56
+0.0%
Silver
24.43
-0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
67,885
+0.3%
All Share
74,077
+0.2%
Resource 10
56,208
+1.0%
Industrial 25
103,636
+0.4%
Financial 15
16,471
-0.3%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders