No dates have yet been set for the scrapping of taxis in Gauteng, Transport Department spokesperson Sam Monareng said on Thursday.
Dates have also yet to be set for the destruction of old vehicles in the North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, he said.
All Monareng could indicate was that dates would be announced ”soon”.
Taxi scrapping started in the Free State in October and has also begun in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Northern Cape.
The Western Cape will scrap 60 unroadworthy minibus taxis next month.
Monareng said the machinery destroying them — including mobile units — could crush between 90 and 120 vehicles a day.
He said the taxi industry was cooperating with recapitalisation plans.
”Our records indicate that 99% of the operators have submitted applications to convert their taxi permits to operating licences.”
Monareng said the government wanted to give taxi operators subsidies similar to those already being given in the bus and rail industries.
However, while the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) supports recapitalisation, the National Taxi Alliance (NTA) still intends taking the government to court to stop the process.
General secretary Alpheus Malazi said the NTA wanted to be afforded the same recognition as Santaco — which until now has been seen by the government as an umbrella body for the interests of the industry.
The NTA does not believe the proposed new vehicles are affordable. — Sapa