By Nangamso Mabindla
12 June 2006

THE first group of taxi operators from around Eastern Cape has graduated from a national course aimed at making the industry more professional.

The 581 graduates, who attended a course run by the Transport Education and Training Authority (Teta), received their certificates at a ceremony held at East London's City Hall last week.

The certificates were presented by the MEC for safety, liaison, roads and transport Thobile Mhlahlo.

The Teta programme, which started in April 2005, is part of government's efforts to formalise the industry and make sure operators are ready for the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme set to start in July 2007.

More than 4 000 people within the industry have attended training courses countrywide.

The course covered various business topics, including professionalism, customer care, business administration and mentoring, as well as practical motoring skills such as defensive driving.

Operators came from areas such as Mount Fletcher, Butterworth and Mount Frere in the Transkei, and Keiskamahoek, Ginsberg and Ilitha-Ndevana in Buffalo City.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mhlahlo said the courses were part of the government's R7.7-billion investment to improve the taxi industry.

"The state's intervention through the Teta National Skills Project has managed to bring competitiveness and professionalism to the taxi industry, an industry previously plagued by tensions and violence," said Mhlahlo.

Turning his attention to the benefits of the government's programme to turn the taxi industry around, Mhlahlo said the industry would be in a better position to stake a claim when the country hosts the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

Teta's Maurice Bokaba pointed out that "this is also a department of labour initiative".

The department, through its National Skills Fund, has invested over R72-million in developing skills in Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises, with the taxi industry getting R36-million. "This is spent on the training programme."

Teta planned to train 90 skills development facilitators, who would "in turn train other people in critical areas of business".

A further 900 people would be trained later this year – 100 from each province, he added