THE unity between the National Taxi Alliance (NTA) and South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), established nearly two years ago, marks a significant turning point in the South African taxi industry.
Deputy president of NTA, Piet Mahlangu, said the taxi industry has two structures, NTA and Santaco.
"NTA and Santaco are talking in the same voice. We are united, especially after the election of the new president of Santaco, Abnar Tsebe. We are united in diversity," he said.
Mahlangu said the past is history, as there's a new dawn in the Mzansi taxi industry.
"In the past, running the taxi industry and not seeing eye to eye was difficult because even the government, in some instances, wanted us to be divided so that they could rule us. But now it's difficult because we are united. This unity was started by me with Tsebe, who was by then a chairman of associations in Pretoria," he said.
Mahlangu said the perseverance to the unity has led them this far.
Santaco spokeswoman Rebecca Phala said they're pleased to be in a pleasant working relationship with the NTA.
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"You would remember that after the 2020 National Taxi Lekgotla, we vowed to work together towards ensuring unity within the taxi industry. This unity signifies seamless correlation, which means commuters will not be at the receiving end of disagreements or organisational ties," she said.
Phala said they always urge their industry role player to stay clear of involvement in any criminality as it will serve them and their work no good.
South African Bus Rapid Transit Association chairman, Andile Peter, said they entered the BRT system with their eyes closed and some taxi owners are now stranded on the street and are poor.
"When BRT was introduced in the taxi industry, not all agreed. There were serious conflicts in the taxi industry where some of the colleagues in the taxi industry were murdered," he said.
Peter said that the taxi industry is the only business not being fronted.
He said the introduction of e-hailing services has killed the meter taxi industry, and they don't even know who owns these e-hailing services.
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