Central SA
NC acts on corrupt officials and illegal taxi operators─── KATLEHO MORAPELA 15:30 Tue, 12 Feb 2019
The Northern Cape Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison is adamant it will remove taxi operators with unlawful licences from its roads.
This, after the department has begun the process of withdrawing licences that have been issued irregularly by its employees. The department’s spokesperson, Keitumetse Moticoe, told OFM News 316 taxi operators are at the risk of losing their licences as the department has embarked on a process to withdraw illegally issued operating licenses following internal investigations that uncovered discrepancies in the number of permits that have been issued in the province. The Department took a decision to put a moratorium on the issuance of operating licences between 2015 and 2016 to deal with the backlog they have and during this process, discrepancies were uncovered. She says the department has, meanwhile, charged the implicated official and disciplinary hearings are unfolding.
Moticoe says the Provincial Regulating Entity (PRE), responsible for adjudicating over operating licence applications, detected some irregularities while addressing the backlog in the influx of operating licences issued, as the permits dispatched contradicted the provisions made in the National Land Act, No 5 of 2009. This discovery then led the department to start with internal investigations on the matter. The investigations by the department subsequently revealed that a total of 316 applications were approved unlawfully.
She says the department has thus far issued 316 letters stating the intention to withdraw the operating licences to all affected operators and that more letters can be expected as investigations unfold.
Operators could oppose the intended withdrawal by providing reasons why the withdrawal should not be effected, however, failure to dispute the withdrawal within the stipulated timeframe, would lead to a process to withdraw the operating licence.
She says various taxi associations have been engaged on the matter and the move has been welcomed by many.
All illegal licence holders are afforded an opportunity to reapply for the operating licence at no cost, and if they meet the criteria the operating licence will be approved.
OFM News
