Minibus taxi improvement initiatives in the Western Cape

Abstract

Minibus taxis transport the vast majority of public transport passengers in South Africa, and the minibus taxi industry is critical to the functioning of the country’s economy. However, the services provided by the industry are generally of a low standard and there is a need to improve service quality while formalising the industry and addressing issues of violent conflict. This paper provides a case study review of two innovative minibus taxi initiatives implemented by the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW), namely Red Dot Taxi and Blue Dot Taxi, as a knowledge contribution to the sector. The paper was developed by core members of the DTPW team, who conceptualised and implemented these initiatives, and is based on their experiences and understanding of these projects. The first project, Red Dot Taxi was established during the first wave of COVID-19 to support the fight against the pandemic by providing related transport services. Based on the strong working relationship established between DTPW and the provincial taxi industry through Red Dot, the Blue Dot Taxi pilot project was later implemented as an incentive programme to improve service quality and safety. The pilot became operational in May 2021 and was successful in achieving its objectives and in laying the groundwork for further improvements to minibus taxi services. The paper lays out the results and lessons learnt from the pilot.