THE TAXI RECAPITALISATION PROJECT Parliament

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THE TAXI RECAPITALISATION PROJECT Parliaments
public participation process

• 20 September 2006
• Presented by Maishe Bopape

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Department of Transport

• Introduction and Background
• Implementation Strategy
• Implementation Plan
• Summary of specifications
• Colour Coding
• 6. Progress report
• TRP critical aspects
• Flow chart/diagram
• 9. Sustainability
• 10. Conclusion

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Introduction and Background

• The TRP seeks to replace the current
• aged taxi fleet with purpose-built New Taxi
• Vehicles (NTVs).
• The TRP has now being re-configured
• after the termination of the tender process
• which sought to introduce only 18 and 35
• seater NTV.
• The re-configuration and the current
• process include the following

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Intro Background (2)

• Termination of the tender process for the supply
  of the NTV and Electronic Management System (EMS)
• Development, introduction and publications of
  compulsory safety requirements for the NTVs in
  the Gazette
• Introduction of three bands of NTVs, namely 9-16,
  17-22 and 23-34 seater

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Intro Background(3)

• Certainty on the Government paid incentive of
  R50,000 per scrapped unit
• Payment of the scrapping allowance no longer
  conditional for use to deposit the NTV, but the
  operator can elect to exit the industry upon
  receiving the scrapping allowance
• Establishing the Scrapping Agency to scrap Old
  Taxi Vehicles (OTVs) on behalf of Government.

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Implementation Strategy

• The implementation of the TRP is premised on the
  following pillars
• Introduction of the compulsory safety
  requirements
• Effective regulatory and legislative requirements
  (NLLTA stipulations)
• Effective law enforcement
• Scrapping Administration Agency
• Economic empowerment of the industry
• Effective communication

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Implementation Plan

• The compulsory safety requirements were
• First introduced 2nd September 2005, through
• Gazette 27999.
• However these were revisited recently to
• address the following
• Differentiation between ordinary mini/midibuses
  and those operating as taxis
• ii. Delay experienced in the SABS in the
  finalisation of four outstanding safety
  requirements

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Implementation Plan (2)

• The SABS did not have national
• standards against which some of
• the requirements could be measured and
  benchmarked.
• iv. The minibus category needed structural
  re-engineering to comply with the safety
  requirements
• v. Financial implications of some of the
  requirements
• vi. Need to have compliant NTV available with
  little delay.

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Implementation Plan (3)

• Progress in addressing the challenges
• NB The DoT met with all key stakeholders and
  agreed on way forward
• Rollover bars now a compulsory requirement in the
  minibus category
• Removal of the mechanical driver operated door
• Only one passenger seat in the front
• Introduction of the Colour Coding process first
  in the taxi industry and eventually in the entire
  Public Transport system.
• Only two safety requirements (anti-tyre burst
  stabiliser and tamper proof speed governors) to
  follow by the date to be declared by the Minister.

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Compulsory Requirements

• The Colour Coding and safety
• requirements forming compulsory
• specifications for the mini and midibus
• taxis are encapsulated in the Gazette
• number 29194 and 29195 respectively

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Summary of safety specs

• The following specs apply for NTVs in the
• TRP
• Seatbelts for all passengers in the vehicle
• Rollover bars for both mini and midibuses
• Steel radial tyres
• 400mm seat size
• Type II brake system
• Yellow reflective side and rear markings
• Partition behind the drivers seat
• No fold up or jockey seats

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Summary of safety specs (2)

• Maximum speed limit sticker
• One front passenger seat in the mini and midibus

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Provincial Coat of Arms

1234
Route Number
Reflective Contour Marking
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Progress report

• Rollout plan
• 10,000 OTVs targeted for scrapping by December
  2006
• Target number include unroadworthy, unsafe
  vehicles and those that belong to operators who
  wish to exit the industry ASAP
• Law enforcement an integral part of the rollout
• Manufacturers advised to take vehicles to SABS
  for certification as TRP compliant vehicles

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Progress report (2)

• Operators would be written individual letters on
  the basis of the age profile of the vehicles on
  our database to hand in vehicles for scrapping
• NB Scrapping process to be conducted over a
  sever year period, and ONLY UNROADWORTHY vehicles
  are targeted for scrapping at this stage. Fairly
  new vehicles would be scrapped at the later
  stages of the TRP, when they also reach the stage
  of un-roadworthiness and unsafe.

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Progress report (3)

• Scrapping Administration process
• Facilities and resources had been identified in
  Provinces for the scrapping process (done with
  consultation of Provinces and taxi industry)
• There will be fixed facilities, next to Offices
  of the Operating Licensing Boards in major towns
  and cities
• Mobile scrapping facilities will service remote
  areas in Provinces

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Progress report (4)

• Three issues central to the scrapping process
• Proximity of the agency to Operators
• User-friendliness of the system
• Fraud mitigation

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Progress report (5)

• Launch of the TRP
• Part of the October Transport month will include
  the scrapping of OTVs.
• Exhibition of the NTVs that had been certified by
  the SABS as TRP compliant vehicles

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Progress report (6)

• Availability of NTVs
• The minibus category (9-16) entered the TRP
  process as a late inclusion ( the original TRP
  sought to introduce 18 and 35 seaters only).
• The minibus sector is responding to a process
  that started a few years ago, hence delayed
  advancement in comparison to the midibus sector.
• Some of the vehicles that have been urged to go
  for the SABS certification are

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Progress report (6)

• Minibus sector
• Inyathi
• Marco Polo
• Iveco
• Daimler Chrysler 313
• Midibus sector
• Iveco
• Daimler Chrysler (Sprinter)
• Marco Polo Volare
• Marco Polo Agrale

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Application Process Flow
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System Process Flow
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TRP critical aspects

• The implementation of the TRP requires that the
• following issues be looked into
• The finalisation of the current process of
  issuing Operating Licenses
• Regularisation of the operators currently in the
  system but operating without legal permits either
  because of the long imposed moratorium on issuing
  of new permits or for whatever reasons
• 3. Finalisation of the process to sustain the
  industry beyond the TRP
• 4. Tightened and effective regulation of the
  industry, including ranks, routes and facilities

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Sustainability

• TRP on its own would not solve all public
  transport problems and challenges, but
• Provides capital assistance to source newer and
  more efficient vehicle
• Govt. to expedite public transport
  modal-integration to assist the industry enter
  mainstream public transport system
• Industry should have a stake in bus companies at
  local and operational levels
• The model tender process already require
  participation and partnering with the industry
• Government assistance to be directed to the user
  who must have the right to decide which mode to
  use

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Sustainability (2)

• Taxi industry given shareholding in the scrapping
  agency as part of sustainability
• Attaching particular value to the significance of
  an Operating License, so that it also be used as
  a collateral when necessary
• Taxi industry should seriously consider forming
  business units and entities to advance bulk
  purchasing and strong negotiation front.

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Conclusion

• THANK YOU!