Call for bakkie transport alternative
PROTESTING bakkie owners and parents have called on the government to provide alternative solutions to the bakkie transport system as they marched on City Hall yesterday.
Scores of bakkie owners, parents and school pupils clad in uniform joined together as they marched up Baakens Street towards City Hall.
The gathering was organised by the Nelson Mandela Bay Transport Services (NMBTS) because bakkie owners are unhappy over an amendment to the National Road Traffic Act.
The amendment makes it illegal to transport children on the back of their bakkies for profit.
The NMBTS, which is made up of three transport service providers, handed over a memorandum to an official from the Department of Transport yesterday morning.
Thubelihle Mloyi, a parent, said the government could not remove the “bakkie system” if it did not intend replacing it with something else that would be safe for children.
Both her daughters, Imange Deyi, 8, and Seagirl Sibanda, 7, have been travelling in bakkies to school since they were in Grade R.
“My children have been travelling with the bakkie for a couple of years now,” Mloyi said.
“I know they are safe because I know once they leave home in the morning the driver has a responsibility to keep my child safe.
“If anything happens to them, he will be held responsible.
“I will continue to use the bakkie until I die.”
The memorandum was received by Sarah Baartman district public transport manager Mthuthuzeli Siwa on behalf of district manager Phakamisa Mente.
The new regulations came into effect on May 1.
NMBTS spokesman Xolisile Ntantiso said drivers were fed up with being pulled over by metro police and “we receive fines unnecessarily”.
He said they also received documentation last month which stated that errant drivers’ vehicles would be impounded from July 1.
Eastern Cape Department of Transport spokesman Khuselwa Rantjie said the department would respond to the memorandum in the next seven days.