Original Research

An historical overview of problems associated with the formalization of the South African minibus taxi industry

Mark Ingle
New Contree | Vol 57 | a391 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/nc.v57i0.391 | © 2024 Mark Ingle | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 28 February 2024 | Published: 31 May 2009

About the author(s)

Mark Ingle, Centre for Development Support, University of the Free State, South Africa

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Abstract

Die minibus taxi bedryf in Suid-Afrika is ’n belangrike afdeling van die vervoerstelsel, en daarom is dit ’n beduidende faktor in die nasionale ekonomie. Sedert die middeltagtiger jare het hierdie bedryf binne ‘n eie stel reëls en regulasies ontwikkel, in dié mate dat dit betrokke geraak het by wetteloosheid. Verskeie gewelddadige ‘taxi oorloë’ het al plaasgevind. In baie dele van die land is daar min alternatiewe openbare vervoerstelsels. Daarom het die eienaars wat die bedryf beheer, die gesamentlike mag ontwikkel om die regering se pogings om kontrole uit te oefen, te ontduik. Baie regeringsamptenare blyk betrokke te wees by taxi-sindikate. Die regering se taxi herkapitaliseringsprogram het ten doel om die swak beeld en veiligheidsrekord van die taxi-bedryf te verbeter, en om opnuut die mag af van die regering te druk op die toekenning van hulpbronne in die sektor. Hierdie inisiatief mag heel moontlik op ’n mislukking afstuur. ’n Meer pragmatiese oplossing sou kon wees om die bedryf te dereguleer, in samehang met effektiewe polisiëring, sodat die mag van die beherende partye in die bedryf aan bande gelê kan word.

Keywords

South Africa; Informal sector; Minibus taxis; Taxi wars; Deregulation

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