By Selloane Ntshonyane
- Gauteng says over 400 taxi and scholar transport licences may be cancelled if operators miss the 14 August deadline.
- Drivers want better communication and more time, warning cancellations could leave learners and workers without transport.
More than 400 taxi and scholar transport operators in Gauteng could have their operating licences cancelled if they do not collect them before 14 August.
The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport said it is working to speed up the licence process.
More than 2,000 licences have already been handed to taxi and scholar transport operators who qualify.
Roads and Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela urged the remaining operators to collect theirs quickly.
“We encourage them to collect their operating licences without delay so they can continue working legally and help keep Gauteng’s roads safer,” she said.
But the Unity Learner Transport Association says some drivers may not know their licences are ready.
Chairperson Mpho Khabola said drivers had waited a long time and often received poor information from the department.
“It is unfair to threaten cancellations when some operators struggled to get information or faced delays beyond their control,” he said.
Khabola said some drivers were sent between offices without clear answers.
He warned that cancellations could take away drivers’ income and leave learners without safe transport to school.
Soweto taxi driver Bongani Ndlanzi said the department should improve communication and extend the deadline.
“There is no use cancelling those licences if they are not collected,” he said.
He warned that fewer legal taxis could also make it harder for workers and other commuters to reach their destinations.
Pictured above: Minibus taxis parked together as Gauteng drivers are urged to collect their operating licences.
Image source: Supplied
