​By Staff writer
MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela met the Gauteng taxi industry representatives in the City of Tshwane as part of efforts to continuously engage with key sector stakeholders of the Department. The meeting took place on Tuesday,18 April 2023. 
The leadership and representatives of the taxi industry comprises the provincial structures of the Gauteng National Taxi Alliance (GNTA) and South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO).
The MEC got to outline the Department's plans for the industry in line with the provincial strategic elevated priorities as pronounced by Premier Panyaza Lesufi.
These included, amongst others, a progress report on Taxi Violence Commission Recommendations and implementation and the model for the Taxi Rank of the Future. The meeting also engaged on the Report on the Gauteng Taxi Industry Investment Fund.
During the session, she also reiterated the Department's commitment of bringing change and accelerating service delivery by providing an integrated public transport system, which is safe, affordable, and modernised to cater for transport needs of future commuters.
On transformation, MEC Diale-Tlabela emphasised the need for transformation in the sector. "The taxi industry should transform by allowing for more women to participate in growing the industry' she said.
"The Department will continue to work together with the taxi industry to establish a structural engagement that will play a critical role in pushing the women agenda and making sure that more women participate and grow the industry as the catalyst of the township economy", the MEC added. 
She further indicated that the recommendations of the Gauteng Commission of Inquiry into Taxi Violence needed to be tracked to ensure implementation.
On road safety, the MEC appealed to the industry to give road safety a priority by working with law-enforcement officials and the Department to help save lives.
She also reiterated a call to public transport operators who have applied but have not collected their Operating Licenses to do so by 31 May 2023, stating uncollected operating licenses will be cancelled.