As part of its commitment to the successful implementation of the new Integrated Rapid Transport (IRT) System, the City of Cape Town has invited representatives of the minibus taxi industry to a series of monthly meetings.

The first of these meetings will be held on 8 March, and all major taxi stakeholders have been invited. Each registered taxi association will be asked to nominate and mandate two representatives to participate in the meetings. Representatives of the Western Cape Provincial Taxi Council (WCPTC) and the Western Cape National Taxi Alliance (NTA) will also be invited.

“The City is committed to implementing a public transport system for the city and we are looking forward to the taxi industry playing a central role in the operating companies, which will operate the vehicles of this system,” said Executive Mayor Helen Zille.

The IRT system will provide Capetonians with a safe, reliable and convenient transport system. It seeks to transform the public transport sector by integrating Metrorail services, road-based services on trunk routes, conventional bus services, minibus taxis, feeder bus services, improved pedestrian and bicycle access, metered taxi integration, and park-and-ride facilities.

Road-based public transport will be transformed by the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, which will feature its own dedicated lanes on the trunk routes, rapid and frequent operations and improved customer service. Trunk Routes will be on all of the City’s major transport routes. Feeder routes will ferry passengers to the trunk routes. Buses will travel in normal traffic on the feeder routes.

The City sees engagement with the taxi industry as an important part of the IRT. “It is important that all roleplayers in the taxi industry have an opportunity to engage with the City about issues of concern to them and that the City can raise issues with the taxi industry. These monthly meetings will give us an opportunity for broad dialogue between the city and the industry,” Mayor Zille said.

The meetings will cover the proposed IRT system, and also address issues around law enforcement, including the taxi industry’s perception that it is unfairly targeted by law enforcement officers. The taxi industry will also be given an opportunity to present their proposals on public transport in Cape Town.

Taxi industry concerns about the taxi recapitalization process and the issue of operating permits are in the hands of national and provincial government, and the City cannot address these. “However, the City will invite them to attend the meetings to address these concerns,” said Cllr Elizabeth Thompson, Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Roads and Stormwater. “It is important that all members of the taxi industry are fairly represented at these meetings, so that we can all engage openly”, she added.