Mobility
With regard to the Blue Dot Taxi service:
Whether his Department has any plans to revive or introduce a similar project; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Blue Dot Taxi was a successful pilot project that unfortunately could not continue due to funding constraints. As part of the ongoing Minibus Taxi Task Team (MBT TT) process, the Mobility Department is collaborating with the City of Cape Town and the provincial taxi industry to develop and implement a series of measures, collectively known as the Shayela Smart Programme. This initiative is designed to build on the foundations and lessons learned from the Blue Dot project, aiming to reinvigorate and drive long-term, incremental reform of the taxi industry.
Currently in the planning phase, the proposed programme includes key components such as:
Vehicle branding, tracking, and monitoring: Enhancing the visibility, safety, and accountability of taxis by introducing branding and real-time vehicle tracking.
Training and driver registration: Providing training and establishing formal driver registration processes to improve professionalism within the industry.
Capacity alleviation at key public transport interchanges: Implementing measures to ease congestion and improve efficiency at major transport hubs.
