Mobility
Whether his Department approached the national government before it started the Blue Dot Pilot Project to find out if it would fund the project if it yielded positive results; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
The Department, with the approval of Provincial Cabinet, elected to use its own funds for the pilot to determine whether it would work. If the pilot were successful, which it was, the Department planned to use this motivation to lobby for funding for the continuation and expansion of the pilot from various stakeholders, including National Government.
Blue Dot was designed to align fully with national government’s emphasis on formalising and supporting the minibus taxi industry, as expressed at the National Taxi Lekgotla 2020, and on numerous occasions by the President and National Minister of Transport.
From early on, the Department engaged with National Government and other stakeholders on the pilot and the need for funding for it to continue and expand. This included an engagement with the National Department of Transport prior to the launch of Blue Dot in May 2021, two subsequent formal engagements, the submission of a budget adjustment application and numerous informal ad-hoc communications.
Unfortunately, National Government has consistently been unwilling to fund the continuation of Blue Dot, despite its remarkable success. However, the Department will continue to engage with National Government and other stakeholders to secure the funding needed for the return of Blue Dot.
