The Bus Rapid Transit system will go ahead, Deputy Transport Minister Jeremy Cronin said on Thursday.

"The city-led processes around the first phases of BRT... must continue. What we are trying to do today is not to again prolong the process, but provide a green light to proceed energetically," he said at Gallagher Estate, Midrand after a meeting between Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele, senior transport officials and taxi bosses.

The meeting re-opened talks between the government and the taxi industry over the bus system and other industry concerns.

"In particular the City of Johannesburg is sitting on a very tight deadline in terms of financial commitments and obligations, and therefore it is absolutely important that we get the first phase up and running by the end of August."

Two days before the 22 April election President Jacob Zuma backed a proposal to put the system on hold until after the polls, when further negotiations could continue.

After Thursday's talks the government reiterated its commitment to the system, saying that its introduction in four cities — Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Pretoria — was the first phase.

By 2025, the BRT system was expected to cover 1400 kilometres across the country should the trial run, the current phase, proceed successfully.

Ndebele estimated that merely five percent of the national taxi fleet would be affected by the BRT system in four cities by 2012, according to a speech he delivered to taxi bosses behind closed doors.

According to Cronin: "[BRT] will offer good jobs and decent jobs to those who currently have terrible jobs. Frankly, we believe that it will offer job security and business sustainability to current operators who will become shareholders, managers in bus operating companies."

The system raised the ire of taxi bosses, who felt it threatened their livelihood. The industry also expressed concerns that the government had asked it to register its routes and then proceeded to place the new bus system on those same routes without consulting it.

Cronin said there was a need for a national joint working group on public transport, made up of government and industry representatives, as more matters needed to be thrashed out.

"We need to discuss a whole range of other things; taxi recapitalisation, legislation that affects them, dysfunctionality, operation licensing, broad based black economic empowerment, a whole range of issues."

Ndebele said the team would work together over the next 12 months in a bid to dispel the industry's concerns.

Negotiations on the BRT system would take place mainly at local level, focusing on the taxi workers affected by the system.

Ndebele warned the taxi industry, which was plagued by disunity, to be 'serious' about the talks.

"We must ensure that they report back so that we cannot denounce them," he told the gathered industry members. He urged them to 'formalise and confirm' those who would represent them in talks 'as a matter of urgency'.

The minister also urged the industry to move away from the margins of the economy.

"The taxi industry must become part of the mainstream of our economy and ensure the empowerment of our people."

The sector responded cautiously to government's overtures. South African National Taxi Council president Andrew Mthembu said the taxi business was birthed without any government input.

"This is our bread and butter issue, we started this business a long time ago, we created routes, we developed business, we are contributing toward the country... the statement on its own that says 'don't worry, be happy' is not good enough, we want to know how," he said.

The industry agreed to 'engage meaningfully' with the government, he added.

Mthembu assured South Africans there would be no disruptions of the Confederations Cup or the 2010 World Cup.

Disruptions were threatened when the taxi industry's anger over the BRT system peaked earlier this year.

"I just want to place it on record so that you rest assured. We are South Africans and we will never see another opportunity... to host another 2010. It's something you can't miss, so the ransom of the 2010, it will never be on the agenda," he said.

The government conceded that very little progress had been made in improving public transport in the last 15 years. It intended having South Africans choose public transport over their own vehicles.

Sapa

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