Factors affecting the implementation of the taxi Recapitalisation Project: the Department of Transport

The advent of democracy in 1994 presented the South African government with twin challenges, of significance was institutional transformation while simultaneously introducing new policies in line with the democratic Constitution. In effecting the Constitution, new policies and programs were put in place that would attempt to improve the lives of all citizens. The Taxi Recapitalization Program was amongst challenges facing South African government. The taxi industry plays a crucial role in the economy and contributes 65% of public commuters taking into consideration that the majority of South Africans are poor and dependent on public transport. Thus, access to public transport is seen as a basic right of all citizens, as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (108 of 1996, p. 1251). The right of access to public transport has to be complemented with availability, affordability, appropriateness and timelines of a service within a safe and comfortable environment to the satisfaction of those who use public transportation. This paper is based on literature review. Content analysis method was used. The objective of the paper was (i) to investigate factors affecting the implementation of government’s TRP by the Department of Transport, (ii) investigate the pillars informing the implementation of the TRP, (iii) establish the role of the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) in the implementation of the Taxi Recapitalization Project.

Keywords: TRP, SANTACO, SA, DT, taxi associations and policy.
JEL Classification: R41, R42