Time for the taxi industry to give back

WHY has the South African minibus taxi industry not built a school or university for South Africans yet?

- LORENZO A DAVIDS

The Road Transportation Act of 1977 opened public transport provision to previously excluded groups, bringing black operators into the mainstream of the public transport industry. The Transport Deregulation Act of 1988 saw the minibus taxi become the dominant form of public transport for especially the poor, leading to its continued growth and complete dominance.

There are approximately 150 000 to 283 000 minibus taxis on the road in South Africa daily, depending on whose research one uses. These vehicles are owned by about 20 000 owners and they are variously affiliated to about 950 regional operating bodies, all of which fall under either the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) or the National Taxi Alliance (NTA).

According to SANTACO's documents, the industry employs about 600 000 people and is the main transport provider for 16 million people daily. Its annual turnover is between R35 billion at the low end, R50 billion in the mid-range, and R90 billion in the upper range. Again, figures vary based on who one speaks to.