Metro training taxi drivers to run bus system
Pilot launch of IPTS set for end of next month
THE Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has started training 144 taxi operators who will be in charge of running its bus system from the end of next month. The operators, who will drive the integrated public transport system (IPTS) buses along the Cleary Park route, were inducted by the city’s political head of roads and transport, councillor Rano Kayser yesterday.
The training will include driving lessons, as well as ensuring all operators have the necessary learners’ and drivers’ licences for Codes 10 and 14.
About 100 taxi operators will be trained for Code 10 and 44 for Code 14.
“We are not going to outsource drivers. We will empower and use the affected operators,” Kayser said.
The pilot launch is set for the end of next month with the system expected to be fully operational from June.
“We have 25 buses, but the operators are not going to work like they do with taxis,” Kaiser said.
“Where someone starts the shift at 5am until late at night, we are going to have them working in shifts.”
IPTS buses will start operating from 5am to 9pm during the week.
During peak hours it is expected that there will be a bus at stops every 10 minutes, while the off-peak time is expected to be every 30 minutes.
Construction of bus shelters and remedial work on bus lanes has started.
Kayser said jobs had been created during the construction phase and more employment opportunities would be available for security guards, bus cleaners and other operational-related services.
He said the first priority would be to absorb those working in the taxi industry.
Two taxi associations that were operating on that route are the Algoa Taxi Association and the Northern Areas Taxi Association and both have been absorbed into the system. “We are not phasing out taxis completely. Some of them will operate as feeders for the buses and there are models of compensation we are negotiating with those who have opted out,” Kayser said.
About three committees were formed during the negotiation period to deal with the empowerment of operators, training, and compensation for those that will not be absorbed in the system.
Last week, taxi industry body Laphum’ilanga vowed that the IPTS project would not go ahead in the metro without the support of all associations.
They felt the city had sidelined them from the negotiations.
But Kayser said the associations that had come on board had selected their own representatives in the negotiations.
He said Laphum’ilanga should follow processes and appeal to courts of law if it felt its rights had been infringed.
We are not going to outsource drivers. We will use affected operators