Santaco wants faster progress on infrastructure and licensing reforms

The Citizen

02-07-2025

Santaco wants faster progress on commuter support, infrastructure, and licensing reforms
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) has responded with cautious optimism to the 2025 National Transport Budget Vote.
It welcomed key commitments while urging the government to act more decisively on long-standing industry challenges.
Santaco's delegation, led by first deputy president Mazwe Nkonki, attended the budget vote tabled by Transport Minister Barbara Creecy in Cape Town on Wednesday.
While acknowledging some progress, the council stated that critical issues facing the taxi industry remain unresolved.
Road safety targets
Santaco endorsed the Department of Transport's target to reduce road fatalities by 45% by 2029, describing it as 'a commendable ambition'.
Although the council stressed that reaching this goal would require concrete actions such as round-the-clock traffic law enforcement and intensified public awareness efforts.
'We call for increased 24-hour traffic visibility and awareness campaigns to support this goal,' Santaco said in a statement.
'Poor road conditions continue to damage vehicles and endanger lives. We urge government to implement regular monitoring and maintenance of all roads, especially because the taxi industry's routes move from the very rural areas to the most urbanised areas.'
Minister Creecy confirmed in her speech that Sanral had taken over 3 099km of provincial roads and would reprioritise maintenance efforts through its Route Road Maintenance Programme.
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Growing frustration over commuter subsidy delays
One of Santaco's strongest criticisms was the continued exclusion of taxi commuters from public transport subsidies.
'While we note the intent to explore a subsidy model, the pace is too slow.
'With taxis transporting over 60% of commuters daily, a fair, inclusive subsidy system must be urgently introduced to ensure affordability and equity,' said Nkonki.
Although Creecy said her department is committed to working with the industry to reduce vehicle repayment costs and align operating licences with financial terms, Santaco stressed that 'intent alone is not enough'.
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Implementation lags
The council applauded the taxi industry's inclusion in government transformation and decarbonisation efforts, including the Transformation Fund, which aligns with the 2020 National Taxi Lekgotla resolutions.
'This assures the industry that government supports our idealised socio-economic development of the sector in collaboration with government,' Santaco said.
However, they flagged that the implementation has been sluggish.
Santaco said it supports Creecy's plans to streamline operating licence issuance and tie licence validity to vehicle finance terms.
'This will support compliance and financial sustainability for taxi owners,' the council stated.
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Industry urges accelerated action
While expressing cautious optimism, Santaco outlined urgent priorities:
Fast-tracking a taxi commuter subsidy model
Improved maintenance of roads and taxi ranking facilities
24-hour traffic enforcement
Accelerated operating licence reforms aligned with loan repayment terms
'Santaco remains committed to constructive engagement and a transport system that is fair, safe, and inclusive for all,' it said.
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