Africa-Press – South-Africa. The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) said it has begun to bring together the taxi industry and e-hailing platforms after the government’s new regulations that officially recognise e-hailing as a legal form of public transport.
Santaco, together with its affiliate body, the South African Meter Taxi and E-Hailing Association (Samtea), held a meeting last week with leading e-hailing companies including Bolt, Teksi Ride and Shuma Ride.
According to Santaco, the purpose of the meeting was to build mutual understanding and promote good working relations between traditional taxi operators and app-based transport services.
“All parties present agreed to work collaboratively in moving the industry forward,” it said.
“One of the key areas discussed was driver and passenger safety, particularly considering the new regulations that emphasise the need for panic buttons and other safety mechanisms. The app companies expressed commitment to working together to enhance safety standards across all platforms.”
Santaco said the meeting also created space for future initiatives such as exploring enterprise development opportunities for e-hailing operators and drivers, promoting the inclusion of e-hailing into the broader formalisation goals set out by the 2020 Taxi Lekgotla and establishing a working group committee to guide co-operation and implementation going forward.
The meeting was described as the first of its kind and set a positive tone for future engagements.
Santaco and Samtea said they plan to include more app-based companies in future discussions to ensure everyone in the e-hailing space aligns with the transformation goals of the public transport industry.
“As the regulatory environment evolves, Santaco remains committed to playing a central role in unifying the industry, improving safety and promoting sustainable livelihoods for all operators.”
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