Johannesburg: AfricUpdate – News Desk
Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, will on Thursday visit Maponya Mall in Soweto as part of ongoing efforts to address tensions within the public transport sector, engage directly with affected stakeholders, and assess the situation on the ground. The visit follows a violent incident, allegedly involving taxi operators and e-hailing drivers, which resulted in one fatality and left two others injured on Wednesday at the mall.
Last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the amended National Land Transport Act (NLTA) 5 of 2009, paving the way for e-hailing services operators to apply for operating licences like any other public transport operator. The National Land Transport Act was brought to the President’s desk in 2020 but was sent back to the National Assembly for reconsideration. The revised Bill, amongst others, seeks to amend the National Land Transport Act, 2009, to insert certain definitions and amend others and provide for non-motorised and accessible transport.
The bill amends the National Land Transport Act of 2009 to bring it up to date with developments since the implementation and simplifies various provisions or solves problems that have arisen since the implementation; and makes provisions for non-motorized and accessible transport. It further expands the powers of the Minister to make regulations and introduce safety measures.
