 
Taxi driver skill development for public safety
The people of KwaZulu-Natal must assist the Department of Transport to speed up delivery, KZN Minister of Transport, Mr S’bu Ndebele, told Nquthu community members during the official launch of the taxi industry skills development project at Nqutu. He pointed out that it was important for the DOT to team-up with the various communities in the province in the interest of efficiency. This is why his department has different channels of communication and people should use these channels if they need roads or they want problems resolved. Mr Ndebele pointed out: "If people need roads, they should know whom to contact from bottom to top until their needs are met." Citing the significance of the taxi industry as service providers in the public service, the minister recalled that out of 1000 whites, 450 of them have private vehicles. However, out of 1000 blacks, 20 of them have private vehicles and the other 980 will be commuting through public transport. "We are a nation that commutes in combis, and therefore we are a combi(nation)," he quipped. It was for this reason that his department completed a pilot project in Nquthu to make transport by taxi a lot safer. The project focused on advanced driver training and trained taxi owners on business development management. On presenting certificates to 150 taxi drivers and 150 taxi owners in road safety and business development management, Mr. Ndebele said: "South Africa will learn that this industry has become our cornerstone in our economy; an industry of which black people can be proud." The Head of Transport, Dr Kwazi Mbanjwa praised the minister for his good leadership: "Our minister is a leader with a vision, hence our department is the number one government department in terms of service delivery in the whole country." He added: "When the minister came into office, he decided to make this industry work since it was the biggest business controlled by blacks. He dedicated his life to the taxi industry even when his life as well as his families was threatened." Dr Mbanjwa said that the industry had improved, and formalized so that it could compete equally with other professional businesses. The Transport CEO said that the ultimate goal of the minister was to make sure passengers boarding taxis reached their destination safely and comfortably, not to be harassed and ultimately killed in road crashes. "For this reason one can say that Mr. Ndebele is a visionary and a hardworking leader," he concluded.
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