Barbara Creecy Fails Taxi Industry: NTA Calls for Action

South Africa’s minibus taxi sector, which moves roughly 10 million passengers daily and accounts for about 80% of public transport trips, is at a breaking point. The National Taxi Alliance (NTA) has publicly rebuked Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, claiming that her tenure has yielded more rhetoric than relief for operators struggling under soaring fuel costs and stagnant fares.

Why the NTA’s frustration is growing

When Minister Creecy took office in 2023, industry leaders expected swift action on chronic issues that have plagued the sector for decades: exclusion from formal transport planning, chronic financial distress, and what many describe as unequal regulatory treatment compared with other public‑transport modes. Instead, the NTA says the ministry has offered a series of speeches, press releases, and vague timelines, while the economic foundations of the industry continue to erode.

According to the NTA’s spokesperson Theo Malele, taxi operators are caught between “unaffordable costs and unaffordable fares.” The price of diesel has risen by more than 30% since early 2022, a burden that is magnified by the fact that most taxi owners operate on thin margins and rely heavily on daily cash flow. At the same time, the National Treasury’s recent decision to cap fare increases at 2% per annum leaves drivers with insufficient revenue to cover operating expenses.

The specific demands: a fuel rebate and a timeline

Malele outlined a concrete request: a targeted fuel rebate for qualifying minibus taxi operators, to be applied for a minimum of twelve months. The rebate would function similarly to the temporary fuel subsidies granted to the trucking industry in 2021, which helped stabilise that sector during a period of volatile oil prices. The NTA argues that a comparable measure for taxis would provide immediate breathing space while broader reforms – such as the long‑awaited overhaul of the Public Transport Act – are negotiated.

In addition to the rebate, the alliance is calling for transparent, time‑bound milestones on other pressing matters: the issuance of new licences, the integration of taxis into the national Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN), and the establishment of a dedicated funding stream for vehicle upgrades to meet emerging emissions standards.

Potential escalation: national protest on the horizon

If the government continues to “choose delay over delivery,” as Malele phrased it, the NTA says it will move from dialogue to mobilisation. The alliance plans to begin consultations with its affiliates across all nine provinces, with the aim of organising a lawful national protest march. Such a protest would echo the large‑scale demonstrations of 2019, when taxi operators rallied in Johannesburg and Cape Town to demand the implementation of the 2017 Taxi Reforms Bill.

Legal experts note that any protest must comply with the Regulation of Gatherings Act, which requires notification to the police at least seven days in advance. The NTA has already appointed a legal team to ensure that any march remains within constitutional bounds, thereby avoiding the pitfalls that led to the violent clashes in the 2020 Gauteng taxi strike.

Historical context: past interventions and why they matter

The minibus taxi industry has a fraught relationship with successive governments. In the early 2000s, the Transport Department introduced the Taxi Operators’ Licensing System (TOLS) to curb illegal operations, but many operators complained that the system favoured larger, well‑connected firms. More recently, the 2021 fuel surcharge waiver for the logistics sector was praised for stabilising freight costs, yet taxi operators were excluded, reinforcing perceptions of unequal treatment.

Minister Creecy’s predecessor, Sindile Khumalo, launched a pilot fuel assistance programme in the Eastern Cape in 2022, which benefited only 1,200 operators out of an estimated 30,000 in the province. The NTA argues that a nationwide, uniform rebate would avoid the patchwork approach that has historically undermined trust between the sector and the state.

Looking ahead: what a resolution could mean for South Africans

Beyond the immediate financial relief for drivers, a successful negotiation could have ripple effects for commuters. With the majority of South Africans relying on minibuses for work, school, and medical appointments, a stable taxi industry supports economic productivity and social mobility. Moreover, a formalised rebate scheme could be tied to environmental incentives, encouraging the gradual replacement of older, polluting vehicles with newer, cleaner models.

For the government, responding positively to the NTA’s demands would signal a commitment to inclusive transport policy, aligning with the National Development Plan’s goal of an integrated, affordable public‑transport system by 2030. Conversely, continued inaction risks not only escalating protests but also a further decline in service reliability, which could push commuters toward informal or unsafe alternatives.

As the standoff between the National Taxi Alliance and Transport Minister Barbara Creecy intensifies, the coming weeks will likely determine whether dialogue can replace dissent, or whether South Africa will witness another large‑scale protest that disrupts daily life for millions of commuters.