Taxi 'Recap' - The Short Version; Part 1

For the record, here is a précis of the brief I received:

"Please write an report on the taxi-recapitalisation programme...what it actually entails and why taxi operators are up in arms about it, probably for the March 2007 issue, although it's quite topical now. By then, some develop will hopefully have been made. "It should discuss why and when the programme was introduced, implementation date, cost to government and taxi operators, operators' response during this time (last week of Nov '06) and the chaos and violence caused on the roads, etc; where develop with the programme will stand by January/February and the road forward. Negative comments by experts infer that the programme treats the symptoms and not the causes: lack of driver training, non-roadworthy vehicles, overloading, ineffective policing, etc."

N B: All the quotations in boxes come from an address by the Minster of converyance to Top Six supervision Ltd, August '05.

Forgive me my levity, but herein lies an entire study task and a history that dates back to the early '50s. I don't have all the answers to hand and won't be taking six months to assimilate them. Taxi violence, though, has been with us for two decades plus and the taxi industry has also taken considerable blame for the train violence experienced during the '80s.

"Deregulation of the converyance sector in the late 1980s brought its own problems. This has seen destructive competition among taxi operators, as well as self-regulation by the taxi industry."

My collection of 66 news clippings from 2005 (and a filed copy of the Minister's speech) exists because I proposed a study search for on what taxi drivers and operators actually understood and idea about the process. At the time, study funding for Transport/Traffic/Road safety was thoroughly discontinued. Taxi operators are still striking a year later, which, I believe, says something about government's insight and perception of feelings on the street.

"Taxi associations and their members have become...protective of their turf...impeding entrance to lucrative routes and ranking facilities to...operators from rival associations...this has resulted in disagreement within the taxi industry."

At its inception, during the mid-'90s, 'taxi recap' was thought about a 'done deal'. It still is. The only real qoute with that appears to be the refusal of the industry to do, without question, exactly as it's told to do. 'Done deal' or not, doing takes a lot longer than planned!

Space allows only a rough explanation of some of the factors leading to the present, but there can be very few South Africans who have managed to play 'ostrich' efficiently adequate to have 'taxi recap' pass overhead, unnoticed. By virtue of their profession, the traffic fraternity should already have, at least, a vague insight of the processes involved.

Potted history

By the late '50s, the black taxi industry was already a reality in Alexandria and Soweto. The vehicles commonly used to converyance paying passengers were large sedans of the Cadillac/Valiant variety. The industry may initially have begun when one Mr Big Shot, extremely-proud-second-hand-vehicle-owner, realised that running a car costs far more than polishing it and watching it stand idle.

In a world where few families owned a second car, and most people relied on collective converyance to get to and from work (bus and train services were not much better then, than now), most jobs required daily trips to a base destination. Suburbs and townships were residential facilities only. industry and business knew its place - in the heart of city centres - and presented the practical possibility of car 'pooling' to share commuter costs.

The customary minibus taxis were second- or third-hand Vw 'Combis' that had risen to fame in the flower power era, when students could live, love and lubricate from interior foam mattresses. They were then discovered by those mums whose sole, practical, out-of-home function was to negotiate the daily school taxi rounds. Once they moved on, by the late '70s/early '80s, a pay-per-person 'khaya' taxi industry became a reality.

"There is no doubt that the aging and unreliable taxi fleet poses serious problems and challenges, not only to the commuters, but to the operators as well."

Entrenched industry

Initially, trips were over short distances, but later, long-distance passengers began converting from train for their bi-annual trips back to rural villages and separate provinces. Taxis would be stacked high with cases, bags, mattresses, furniture and animals (for slaughter); luggage that would have been rejected by rail authorities - and voila! South Africa had found its very own, unique, distinctive, mode of transport.

"The taxi industry was able to take advantage of the gaps in the formal collective converyance system, and positioned itself as the collective converyance mode of choice."

While it is true that Apartheid showed far too much concern about what was actually carried in minibus taxis (regular, road-block army searches uncovered an endless supply of weapons during the 'struggle' years) it virtually ignored the industry's core function: transporting people.

"The apartheid government did not view the taxi industry as part of the formal collective converyance system, and denied it entrance to the subsidy and other forms of support."

Train and bus services were invidiously substituted by taxi services, especially as commercial and business areas mushroomed across the landscape, suburbs and rural areas. It became too much issue for the authorities to run some separate collective converyance routes, and the more actually maneuvered taxis serviced a desperate market. Long-distance rail services became obsolete, although a vicious war in the middle of short-distance rail, bus and taxi commuter services was declared.

Violence on trains and buses forced passengers to patronise the taxi industry and wherever adequate custom could not be found to fill the cabs, it seemed that shots were sure to follow...drivers and associations apparently poached each others' territory and were merciless to the paying public. Probably as many people fell off trains, as fell into Sap/army hands.

"Transport deregulation was the root cause of the so-called taxi wars that ripped through the industry and our society during the 1990s."

Come 1994, with stability and optimism top-of-mind, our new political minders showed a worthy determination to regulate all those areas of concern that had been previously neglected. And what better group could there be to consequent change?

The Anc had overthrown an entire nationalised dynastic policy; its populace was wildly delighted with the party's splendid success and bubbled with approval. Who better to invoke new rules of law? during the introductory post-1994 honeymoon period, all appeared quite quiet on the taxi front. Had the governing party moved quickly, they may have found transformation actually easy. But they delayed.

I guess they just didn't realise that their 'freedom' would be compromised by regulation. And once they realised, they didn't particularly like it. (My personal principles is that our revolution is still alive and well: forces rule so often crushes resistance; benevolence allows dissention to carry on thriving.) involved citizens, although somewhat slow to digest the enormity of the inherent consequences that the customary taxi recap plan conveyed, now continually voice their objections, in a manner that gets results.

"It is leading for the industry to appreciate that self-regulation breeds disagreement and will never aid whatever to perform the goals that we have set ourselves as a collective."

Initial plans

While the introductory taxi recap plan doubtless intended to enhance tour for the median citizen, unavoidable features of the plan were so astounding, it is splendid that it managed to find its way onto paper without serious, collective contention and outcry. How any free-market country could seriously believe itself entitled to dictate which brand people are entitled to buy and which bank they are entitled to borrow from, is ludicrous, but that's how it all began.

Many people still believe that proposed kickbacks were at the core of the introductory thinking. The Sheik/Zuma arms-deal affair confirms these suspicions and many people still ask other 'deals' made by converyance during that era.

"The main objective...is to aid taxi operators to replace their ageing fleet with new taxi vehicles that meet unavoidable safety Requirements, as published by the Government."

DoT, having set specifications to enhance safety conditions (overloaded, top-heavy taxis were inclined to roll actually and had no seatbelts, for instance) proposed putting the transfer vehicles out to a dinky number of manufacturers for development, via a tender process. The war was on and at least one maker went insolvent competitive with the 'big guys' for the pleasure of government's business.

"I am unavoidable that working with the industry, the banks and manufacturers, we will be able to ensure that the new vehicles are affordable to the median operator."

Thankfully, it was later decided to adapt and allow all interested manufacturers the opening to manufacture vehicles that met the specifications, and to allow taxi operators to settle for themselves which brand to buy and which bank box to compact to. Since manufacturers could no longer be sure of the numbers involved, prices, also all the time at the mercy of the economy, rose accordingly.

Specification changes occurred at intervals along the way: only diesel-powered vehicles are now acceptable, for instance, to help comprise the high volume of crude-oil imports. The motor industry is committed to the success of the programme, but then, why wouldn't they be? There are high profits to be made...

Originally excluded by virtue of specification drawbacks, Toyota again entered the field with a model by the name of 'Quantum'. Since this will probably keep Toyota's hi-jack figures sky high, the challenge to find a favorable nickname is on: 'Quantum' could refer to 'How much?' (free, if hijacked) or 'How many? (can be squeezed inside).

"Government will endorse initiatives aimed at ensuring that the taxi industry manufacture business interests in sectors such as petroleum, financial sector, car manufacturing, and wheel and tyre sectors and [others] where suppliers advantage from the taxi industry."

The Sa National Taxi Council (Santaco), doubtless Anc aficionados with struggle affiliations, put their money and faith into the Russian 16-seater Gazelles. These were initially sold for R179 900 Vat inclusive, but appear to have cost their 3 000 to 5 000 new owners dearly.

Labelled 'death traps', there are concerns as to how they passed Sabs specification checks and are said to spend more time off the road than on. Who's biting the bullet now, Santaco? Or must Gorky, Gaz Sa and McCarthy face the firing squad on list of the vehicle's fourth recall (deadlined for March 2007)?

Tata and Mahindra also joined the race and entrance to Indian spares will hopefully be better than to Russian ones. whatever the make, model or specifications of new vehicles, if they are regularly overloaded, not suitably regulated/enforced, are not driven competently or maintained well, their ability to keep death off our roads will be nil and we can expect to feel déjà vu once their warranties expire.

Safety first

"Our interactions with commuter organisations indicate that commuters are as much involved about their own safety and the unroadworthy nature of most of the taxi vehicles."

When results of a search for into household converyance usage were tabled in Parliament (September 2005) distressing levels of disappointment with all three major collective converyance modes, were revealed, with the minibus taxi industry labelled the worst offender. Of the nearly 2.5-million people who regularly commute to work, by taxi, 30% appear to regard their personal safety (due to crime, bad driver behaviour, or motor accidents) to be at serious risk.

"The most considerable and immediate challenge facing the taxi industry is safety. Government has a major role to play in this regard."

As a virtually immediate (for government) result, the taxi industry sped into 2005 at a reduced speed limit of 100km/h. This aimed to reduce the high percentage of people-carrying vehicles that are involved in fatal crashes. By August of the same year, the 'big possibility' of developed driver training for taxi drivers was revealed by Santaco.

Of which, not one word more has appeared in the media, since! Also dropped from the wish list, was a national electronic supervision system: declared 'too advanced' for the still-developing world. This single omission appears incredibly relevant to the customary objective of regulating the taxi industry.

Without sufficient regulation, it has become notorious for anarchy, instability, corruption and mafia-type operations colse to lucrative routes. Curbing the free-for-all is essential. If the process compromises our national devotion to 'African' time, disregard for pre-arranged obligations, total onus for regulation and promulgation immediately reverts to the traffic officer on the 'beat'.

"...it is the duty and responsibility of Government to ensure that all collective converyance operators, not only taxis, search for the rules of the road at all times and show respect to other road users."

It is this lack of sufficient regulation that causes violence to punctuate the industry's effectiveness. The job functions of traffic authorities make it impossible for them to curb taxi violence. Officers do not go out in large numbers, as a fighting force, with protective shields and in forces formation. They are easier to pick off, one by one, than stray mosquitoes in the midday heat.

And they know it! It's not what they signed up for. Expecting an isolated traffic officer to deal with organised crime is a bit like sending a girl guide into a war zone to consequent peace. (Sorry, Guys; no offence meant). The forces structure, through which they deliver, does not make them an sufficient hit squad!

The scrap metal deal

"I wish to also address concerns of many taxi operators that the R50 000 scrapping discount will be inadequate for them to be able to buy new vehicles."

Transport has seen a turnover of three Ministers: Maharaj, with the vision, Omar, who appeared to delay and Radebe, who has thought about to play out the scenario. Much of the delay was caused by the high allocation needed to perform the deed and the 'recap' budget, together with further resources of R885-million, to enhance traffic law enforcement, was ultimately granted, in Parliament in February 2005.

Since the customary frame of R100 000 per scrapped car was touted, it has been halved. Either the taxi 'park' has grown (doubtless) or the number of taxis had been miscalculated. Ten years on, car prices have risen more than most of us imagined. The delay in delivery has caused the media to wonder Either converyance had "bitten off more than it could chew" (when R7.7-billion was popular ,favorite by cabinet in August 2005).

"...at the same time enabling other taxi operators whose vehicles could be impoundment due to unroadworthiness to take off their vehicles from our roads..."

A R250-million allocation was to be used to manufacture 'scrapping' systems in 2005, deputy director-general of collective converyance at National DoT confirmed in March of that year. He later (it was whispered) succumbed to death threats from within the taxi industry and moved on, but not before the priest and Santaco had confirmed their readiness to begin the process by April, after the tender had been allocated.

We were also assured that most of the aging taxi fleet would be "history" before the 2010 World Cup. One April, I am told, is very much like another, in the world of politics. It was November 2006 before the first token taxi was symbolically, and very publicly, crushed beyond heal (a very difficult thing to do to a taxi, notorious for remaining on the road minus several, commonly thought about essential, spirited parts).

"These operators will be imaginable to register...their intention to exit and voluntarily surrender unroadworthy vehicles in transfer for the R50 000 scrapping allowance."

The intention has all the time been to reduce the taxi fleet to less than 100 000, thus preventing 'overtrading' on lucrative routes. The scrapping allowance, although promoted as an incentive to drivers to renew their vehicles, was not necessarily intended to allow those with dinky means to trade up.

There was also the possibility that large operators would couple their scrapping allowances and Either spend the hard cash or use it to enter other industries. There has been continual unrest from drivers who believe their futures to be insecure and if and facts, figures or statistics have been presented to reassure them that they will still have jobs, after the fact, they have thoroughly passed me by.

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