Rethinking the formalisation of the minibus-taxi industry in South Africa

Abstract

A first-rate public transport system is one of the critical building blocks of any world-class economy. The minibus-taxi industry has developed into the dominant public transport provider in South Africa and is a beacon of black economic empowerment. However, the industry’s informal operation is plagued with problems like poor road safety and declining profit margins. This research project sets out to investigate these impediments in an effort to provide a framework for the transformation of the industry into a high-quality, customer focused enterprise. The TOC thinking processes is systematically employed to design a robust solution for this multifaceted operation. The research presents a positive prospect of genuinely safe, secure and reliable public transport for the first time in South Africa.