The Santaco taxi strike scheduled for Wednesday was called off at the last minute following a fruitful meeting between the taxi umbrella body and Western Cape Government officials.
Premier Alan Winde and new Mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie have now undertaken to establish a special task team to deal with the industry’s gripes.
Mackenzie said: “The commitments made in [Tuesday’s] engagement indicate a show of good faith from all sides.
“Through the task team, we will work together to address the challenges faced by the minibus taxi industry and ensure people can travel safely this week.”
Winde thanked the leadership of Santaco for agreeing to the meeting.
“It is not just about averting this strike, which I am thrilled we have been able to achieve at a time when our economy is struggling amid Stage 6 load shedding. It is also about improving public transport, making it an economic enabler to meet the growing needs of our growing population,” he added.
Mackenzie will convene and chair the weekly task team comprised of representatives from the province and City, together with leadership of Santaco-Western Cape.
It was resolved that issues to be addressed by the task team will include fast-tracking the special regulatory process related to operating licences; training of registered drivers to upskill them in critical skills; and other measures to enhance commuter safety.
In a statement, Santaco confirmed that it had alerted operators that the stayaway had been called off “due to progress made in the meeting”.
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za