By The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has taken a decisive step toward professionalizing and regularizing the provincial transport sector by handing over 529 operating licences to public transport operators.
Spanning all five regions of the province, the initiative is designed to bolster regulatory compliance, elevate passenger safety, and steer the minibus taxi industry and broader public transport network toward total legitimacy.
The handover events took place over a two-day period, split between the Department’s Head Office and the Tshwane Regional offices in Koedoespoort, directly benefiting compliant operators.
Tackling Backlogs and Accelerating Oversight
This latest rollout forms a critical component of the provincial government’s broader strategy to enhance regulatory oversight. For years, administrative bottlenecks and licensing backlogs have posed challenges for operators striving to conduct lawful business.
By actively accelerating the processing of operating licence applications, the Department is cutting down historical backlogs and ensuring that compliant business owners receive their official credentials.
Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, emphasized that the province is ramping up measures to guarantee that the public transport sector upholds strict regulatory standards.
“We are committed to ensuring that public transport operators conduct their businesses legally. We have started issuing operating licenses to taxi and other public transport operators across the province, and we will continue with these weekly handover programmes, reaching different regions of Gauteng,” stated MEC Diale-Tlabela.
A Shared Responsibility for Safety
Transport authorities stress that a safe and accountable transport ecosystem cannot be built by government decree alone; it requires active partnership between the state and transport associations. While the Department is optimizing turnaround times and clearing backlogs, operators carry the reciprocal duty of ensuring their administrative requirements are up to date and that they possess valid documentation.
To maintain momentum, the MEC issued a direct call to action for operators who remain outside the formal regulatory net. She urged them to proactively engage with provincial offices to check application statuses, submit new documents, and regularize their operations.
“We are appealing to taxi operators who are not yet operating legally to visit our offices to apply for operating licenses or verify the status of their applications. We want to assist operators to become compliant and ensure that they operate within the law,” Diale-Tlabela noted.
Looking Ahead: Weekly Rollouts Across Gauteng
With the initial distribution of these 529 licences successfully concluded, the Department has confirmed that weekly handover programs will continue to roll out across all five regions of Gauteng. These ongoing efforts underline a sustained commitment to eradicating illegal operations, empowering lawful entrepreneurs, and fostering a modern, accountable, and ultimately safer public transport environment for the millions of commuters who rely on it daily.
