Codeta offers stranded learners free rides
|Published
WHAT TO DO? Thousands of laaities have not been able to attend school for two weeks.
The Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta) say they will be taking more than 5 000 stranded learners in Khayelitsha and Mfuleni to school themselves, to give the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) time to “resume talks” about contracts as their blockade continues.
Codeta confirmed it will be offering free rides to pupils until next Thursday, while their complaints will now be handled by the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco), following a meeting held on Wednesday.
Santaco provincial chairperson Mandla Hermanus said the provincial leadership of the organisation engaged with taxi operators from Khayelitsha and surrounding areas where the blockade of scholar transport took place.
Over 5 000 learners were absent from school during the two-week blockade as they were prevented from using the WCED’s contracted Learner Transport Scheme operators.
Hermanus said Santaco was asked to intervene and communicate with the WCED.
“We have undertaken to request a meeting with WCED, which will not include the leadership of Codeta, to look at ways of bringing this to an end. Santaco noted the impact this is having on learners who are from the poorest communities, as they lose valuable [school] time.”
Codeta said it wants to handle all scholar transport in the affected areas.
However, Education MEC David Maynier said his department will not meet any taxi association as long as they continue with their blockade.
“We will not tolerate minibus taxi associations terrorising our parents and children, who want to use their Learner Transport Scheme buses,” Maynier added.
Mayco member for Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas, told Santaco that no single stakeholder would have a monopoly over public transport in Cape Town.
Quintas further said the best solution is for Santaco “to get its house in order”.