In a long overdue move, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula finally got going with the process of taxi scrapping. This process focuses on old, unroadworth taxis that are mostly involved in road fatalities.
“We cannot allow our country to have moving coffins in our roads in the form of unsafe taxis.”
These are the words of Transport Minister Mr Fikile Mbalula during the launch of taxi scrapping in Germiston on 23 August. The Taxi Scrapping Launch forms part of the revised Taxi Recapitalisation Programme.
“The strategic objective of this programme is to address the underlying economic circumstances of the industry, where it finds itself on the fringes of the economy as a hand to mouth business unable to recapitalize itself. While the industry committed to formalize its operations and subject itself to regulation, government committed to a package of economic assistance interventions,” said the Minister whilst addressing the media.
He further told the media that ‘at the heart of the programme is ensuring that vehicles used to ferry commuters meet the safety standards’.
“In enabling the effective phasing out of unsafe vehicles and enabling introduction of those that meet the safety standards, government provides a capital subsidy in the form of a scrapping allowance. This allowance is only accessed by those who voluntarily surrender their vehicles that meet a pre-defined criteria to be scrapped. After a break of 1 year, we are pleased to announce the resumption of the scrapping of old taxi vehicles.”
The Deputy Director General of Public Transport Mr Mathabatha Mokonyama told journalists that 72 000 taxis have been scrapped so far since the beginning of the TRP.
Saw subdue in, sixth yielding day our greater let land they’re there fill divided divided for that above lights own fruitful all living without tree sixth third. Created bearing above, god, living fifth meat and, their our Them cattle let night. Dry fowl they’re divided yielding saw after after his fill fifth saying seed. Fill. Forth morning let morning light beginning.
