Taxi operators form new association

By Tando Mfengwana

02 October 2006

Taxi operators in the North West have joined hands to form a new association following prolonged conflicts over routes.

BuaNews reports that over 100 taxi operators of the newly formed Letlhabile-Brits Local and Long Distance Taxi association (LEBULLDTA) met on Sunday, to open their offices.

The formation of the new association comes after extended negotiations and a successful merger between the Letlhabile Taxi Association and the Brits Long Distance Taxi Association.

The report says that the LEBULLTDA is under a democratically elected leadership with 135 members.

The association’s secretary, Jacob Bopape said that they had worked hard to have reached where they were now and were prepared to move the association forward.

In the mid 1990’s, taxi hit-squads were a common sight on major routes linking Letlhabile to Brits, Erasmus, Mabopane, Garankuwa and Pretoria, it says innocent commuters in the area leaving in fear.

Bopape said that they have put all their differences behind and that they plan to build the association into a progressive business for the sake of the community.

17 out of the 135 associations members are women and some are widows of the men who died during the height of taxi violence.

Over 75 percent of their members have operating licences after applying. The province is said to be one of the leaders in terms of its readiness to comply with the requirements of the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme set by Government.

The report says that the association has recently purchased a building worth R400 000, that consist of four offices, a board room and a hall.

The province has registered about 12 687 taxi operators who have met the deadline to convert their permits into operation licence.

BuaNews reports that the North West government has praised the taxi operators. Transport MEC Jerry Thibedi said that the association, the Eastern Cape taxi Council and the parent body; North West province taxi Council should assist their counterparts in other provinces so they could also be on the same footing.