Cape Town - After consulting with stakeholders in the taxi industry, government is ready to establish a negotiating forum to produce new and lasting solution regarding the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT).
"We are now all ready to start a 'CODESA' of the taxi industry," said Transport Minister, Sibusiso Ndebele delivering his Budget Vote in Parliament on Friday.
He said government had last month met over 2000 representatives of the industry made up of taxi associations and their organised structures nationally, including the South African National Taxi Council and the National Taxi Alliance (NTA).
During his State of the Nation Address, President Jacob Zuma said the government would resume discussions with the industry by 11 June.
Taxi operators have been at loggerheads with government over the implementation of the BRT claiming it would lead to job losses.The NTA believes the new bus system was designed to replace the taxi industry.
Mr Ndebele said the structured engagement focuses on five strategic areas, namely implementing the BRT system and other Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN) Projects; taxi subsidization and the Taxi Recapitalization Programme; legislation, licensing and regulatory issues; enterprise development; and communication and stakeholder engagement.
Government has constituted a National Joint Working Group on Public Transport to deal with issues in the taxi and drive the BRT system and other public transport issues. The Working Group will submit an interim report in August and implementation will start by October 2009
