Gauteng Transport Department moves to clear permit backlog dating back to 2009

The Gauteng Transport Department is working to clear a massive permit backlog that dates back to 2009, primarily affecting public and scholar transport operators.

Provincial MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela says a crisis unfolded after thousands of permit applications were found to be stalled. 

She admitted that these significant delays were caused by a manual, paper-based system, as well as fraud and corruption. As a result, some applicants have been forced to wait for up to three years for their permits.

Diale-Tlabela revealed that in some instances, permits that are supposed to be free were being sold illegally for R500. This exploitation took advantage of operators' fears of heavy fines and vehicle impoundment.

"There are allegations of officials will sell it for R500. And because when you don't have it, your car gets impounded, and you pay R5,000. People say that I'd rather pay that R500. I've been doing this since November, a demonstration that it's free. You don't have to buy it from somebody else. So, the backlog with the taxi industry is from 2009. That's why we have prioritised them."

The department's prioritisation of the taxi industry aims to rectify over a decade of administrative failure and protect operators from predatory practices.