Crucial meeting regarding taxi programme

The South African National Taxi Council will meet Transport Minister Jeff Radebe tonight in an attempt to bridge their differences over the taxi recapitalisation programme. Santaco has also appealed to Radebe to do away with the May 31 deadline for the conversion of taxi permits to operating licences. Reports states that the parties have deadlocked after Radebe said there would be no extension of the deadline, while Santaco is prepared to go to court to challenge his decision. Santaco spokesperson Philip Taaibosch says the council is not against recapitalisation, but wants a document explaining what recapitalisation is all about and setting down the rules governing the process.