AYABONGA CAWE: SA Taxi deal a tentative rebalancing of minibus sector
The taxi industry represents one of the few examples of organic black capital accumulation. Due to its informal nature and demographic makeup, it has seldom been considered as a key site of transformation, least of all in mainstream circles. Its roots were an outcome of the spatial injustice of apartheid and underinvestment in public transport in rural and township areas. Its growth, in essence, is an organic response. Consumers continue to use taxis not due to immaculate service or the absence of competitors, but out of necessity. The formal and subsidised alternatives are far from desirable — buses (prior to the bus rapid transport system) run prohibitive schedules and public trains are unsafe, unreliable and subject to long transit delays. The minibus taxi industry has been associated with many unsavoury things (not all true), including violence, warlordism, reckless driving and bad customer service. Recently, however, the attention has shifted towards the sector not for these is...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.