Taxi-owners' perceptions of the government's recapitalization scheme : a case study of taxi-owners in Pietermaritzburg

Abstract

Paper presented at the 22nd Annual Southern African Transport Conference 14 - 16 July 2003 "National issues affecting the movement of people and goods - strategic approaches", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa. ABSTRACT: This study investigated taxi-owners. perceptions of the Government’s Recapitalisation Scheme for the taxi industry. More specifically, the objectives were to assess how it would impact on the taxi industry. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to gather data from short distance taxi-owners under Umsunduzi one municipality in Pietermaritzburg. The recapitalisation scheme is a strategy which was developed by the government to deal with economic problems facing the taxi industry. The study findings show that taxi-owners in Pietermaritzburg support the proposed recapitalisation scheme. Most taxi-owners felt that the intervention of the government in he taxi industry is important. The taxi-owners knew what recapitalisation is about. Their understanding of the scheme was that it was about the introduction of bigger vehicles. They further view the government’s objective behind the scheme as being taxing them. They identified that the benefit of the scheme for taxi-owners would be new vehicles. Most taxi-owners rated recapitalisation scheme as a good idea. Most taxi-owners felt that the problem with the proposed scheme was the lack of infrastructure (ranks) in place to cater for the proposed new vehicles. Under general comments, taxi-owners felt that the government is taking too long to implement the scheme.