 
SPEECH BY THE KWAZULU-NATAL MINISTER OF TRANSPORT, MR S’BU NDEBELE DURING THE HANDING OVER OF THREE VEHICLES FROM TOYOTA PLANT IN PROSPECTON18 March 2003
Programme Director I would like to thank the CEO of Toyota (SA), Dr Johhan Van Zyl for a kind donation of three vehicles to our Public Transport Enforcement Unit (PTEU). Toyota has played a very important role in the history of transport in South Africa. Toyota made their main car plant in this Province and in this way making KwaZulu-Natal a prosperous and forward-looking province. The Taxi Industry has become synonymous with Toyota. We have travelled a very long and bumpy road to create order out of chaos that was characteristic of the taxi industry in South Africa and KwaZulu-Natal in particular. Many workshops and programmes have seen the light of day, thanks to the sponsorship by Toyota. Our task is not only to create order out of chaos but also to maintain that order once it is created. It is for this reason that the Public Transport Enforcement Unit (PTEU) was launched on 26 August 2002, i.e. to effect an orderly industry. Moreover, 65 % of commuters use taxis, the majority of which are made by Toyota. It must be noted that the vast majority of people in the taxi industry are law-abiding. Leading these dedicated people is an reorganization called KwaZulu-Natal Taxi Council (KWANATACO). However, there are rougue elements as exists in every industry. It is unfortunate that when there are shootings, it is innocent passengers and drivers who die and industry is disrupted. The PTEU was established in collaboration with the South African Police Services, Directorate of Public Prosecutions, SANDF, Durban Metro and the Department of Justice. Briefly these are some of the activities and achievements of this Unit. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport’s Public Transport Enforcement Unit was launched in August last year to regulate and bring order and stability to the province’s public transport industry. This unit (PTEU) is the only unit of its kind in the country. THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT ENFORCEMENT UNIT (PTEU)
The formation of the Public Transport Enforcement Unit was a key recommendation of the Judicial Commission of Enquiry into Taxi Violence. It was realized through its work and engagement with the industry leadership and various authorities that one of the major problems enforcement agencies face is the fact that public transport enforcement is a specialized area requiring specialist understanding of legislation and procedures. Taxi operators were able in the past to confuse enforcement officers because of their limited understanding of the nuances within public transport enforcement. Such a scenario led to a serious paralysis of the regulatory environment. A specialized Task Force has closed this loophole. Since its beginning, the Unit has identified all the gaps and consolidated its operations. To resolve whatever problems experienced by taxi operators on the ground we have created a consultative structure jointly led by the Head of Department and the Chairperson of the Taxi Council. This structure continuously receive reports and make the necessary adjustments if necessary. Secondly given the nature of its dangerous work a team within the Inspectorate needed special survival techniques. It is a specialized unit within the Road Traffic Inspectorate of the department. The inspectorate had identified specialized areas requiring specialized skills and training in the past. Within the inspectorate there are various specialized teams, such as the medical teams and search and rescue teams. The Unit is tasked with the enforcement of public transport legislation. In addition to the normal training received by traffic officers, they received additional training in
In short these are the activities of our Public Transport Enforcement Unit. With the vehicles donated by Toyota our work will be much easier. Once again I would like to thank Toyota South Africa for their commitment to enforcement within the context of public transport. I thank you.
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