To combat the problem of public transport drivers who ferry passengers around without permits in the Eastern Cape, the Department of Transport, Roads and Public Works has set up a regulating body to help people get permits faster. MEC for Transport, Roads and Public Works, Thandiswa Marawu, recently stated that 152 vehicles were found transporting people without public transport permits in the province.
To combat the problem of public transport drivers who ferry passengers around without permits in the Eastern Cape, the Department of Transport, Roads and Public Works has set up a regulating body to help people get permits faster. MEC for Transport, Roads and Public Works, Thandiswa Marawu, recently stated that 152 vehicles were found transporting people without public transport permits in the province.
Marawu said she understood how difficult it can be to get a permit, so to speed up the process the Eastern Cape Provincial Regulatory Entity (PRE) was established last month. This will not be limited to an Eastern Cape initiative however, and “every MEC (responsible for transportation) must establish a Provincial Regulatory Entity within the relevant provincial department, to perform the functions of that entity in the province,” Marawu said.
This group of departmental officials now replace the Operating Licensing Boards. Their role is to monitor and oversee public transport in the province and receive and decide on applications relating to operating licences.
“With the festive season around the corner, there is more pressure from public transport operators, particularly the taxi industry, for provincial government to fast-track the processing of applications for acquisition of operating licences,” the MEC said.
As of Monday 21 November the PRE has embarked on its first assignment of dealing with the backlog of applications for operating licences in the Cacadu District. The Eastern Cape has a backlog of about 600 applications and PRE has begun expediting the adjudication of these applications in various districts.
