Johannesburg - The taxi industry will be consulted on plans for a single Cape Town transport network, city authorities and the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) in the Western Cape agreed on Monday.
Councillor Brett Herron said the taxi industry was a crucial component of the city's public transport plans.
"This proposal is not cast in concrete, and we will work together to achieve better public transport for our people."
He was confident all parties shared this common goal. At a meeting on Monday, Santaco representatives raised concerns the industry was not consulted about the proposed scheme.
Herron, who is mayoral committee member for transport, said the city had been informally consulting with industry members. The process was not formalised earlier because all the necessary information was not ready.
"But clearly the consultation up until this point has not been enough, and for that I apologise," he said.
All communications, consultations and negotiations with the taxi industry would be co-ordinated by the city's executive director of transport, roads and storm water, Melissa Whitehead.
Santaco leaders would participate in discussions about transport in the city. A new, all-inclusive consultation process would begin early next month.
Another meeting between the city and the taxi industry would be held in December, and from the beginning of next year meetings would be held each month.
The meetings would deal with, among other things, the city's plans to roll out an integrated transport network in Hout Bay, Atlantis and Sea Point, and the implications of this for taxis. The meetings would run parallel to the broader public consultation process.
Santaco chairperson Vernon Billet said: "We are not opposed to improving the public transport system. We welcome this, but do it with us. Please continue to take us into the City of Cape Town's confidence".
Earlier this month, Herron said the integrated transport scheme would take four to five years to complete.
Buses would be the first to fall under the control of the recently-launched "Transport for Cape Town" authority, followed by minibus taxis, and then trains.