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SAFETY of commuters in the province’s taxi ranks was high on the list during MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu’s budget speech last week.
Speaking at the KZN Legislature in Pietermaritzburg, Mchunu said the department intends to tighten security control in taxi ranks in volatile areas to ensure that the safety of commuters is not compromised.
This new approach will see the Department of Transport and municipalities working together to manage access and control of taxi ranks.
“Moreover, the department will establish a public transport compliance, inspection and monitoring team to ensure safety of passengers and operators. Working with municipalities, we will ensure industry stability in affected areas by strengthening security in taxi ranks,” said Mchunu in a statement yesterday.
He said security companies are most often caught in the forefront of conflict in the taxi industry and this has resulted in commuters being wounded or killed when there is an exchange of gunfire.
The MEC said the contracted security companies will now link with law enforcement agencies of the department and municipalities to work proactively to prevent further conflicts at taxi ranks.
This initiative has started working in Newcastle and will now be implemented in Port Shepstone — where incidents of violence were reported recently.
“Out of 246 taxi associations, only a few remain with challenges. Judging from the progress made thus far, we believe that it is possible to achieve peace and stability through dialogue and working well with the South African National Taxi Council’s leadership,” added Mchunu. — Witness Reporter
