The government warned the taxi industry on Thursday it would push ahead with the implementation of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system and would not tolerate violent protest from minibus operators.

"The law enforcement agencies will not hesitate to take strong action against those who either threaten or perpetrate any form of violence," government spokesman Themba Maseko told a media briefing in Cape Town following Cabinet's fortnightly meeting on Wednesday.

While the right to protest by those who were unhappy about the BRT was respected, this right could not be exercised at the expense of law abiding citizens who had an equal right to a safe, punctual and efficient ride between home and work.

The Cabinet's warning follows a threat by taxi operators to go on strike again next Tuesday in protest at the BRT, which is expected to start running in Johannesburg next week.

Speaking at the briefing, Deputy Transport Minister Jeremy Cronin said based on what was emerging from negotiations, it appeared the "wind has gone out of the sails" of the sector's strike threats.

"We think the negotiation process has gone quite well, and indeed there has been progress in this past week, as well in regard to engaging with Santaco [the South African National Taxi Council] in the context of the national joint working group.

"We anticipate Santaco making an announcement today, if not tomorrow, and certainly the wind has gone out of the sails of the threat to have a major, indefinite taxi strike," he said.

Cronin noted the sector was "complex and volatile".

A key point was negotiations at local level - specifically in Johannesburg, where a BRT "starter service" would be launched on Monday (August 31) - had been going extremely well.

So too were negotiations in Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth) and Cape Town.

Provisional agreement had been reached with Santaco that "we will sign a memorandum of agreement... about how to approach the coming three months," Cronin said.

Earlier on Thursday, the United Taxi Association Forum (UTAF) lodged legal papers in the High Court in Pretoria to have the launch of the BRT system suspended.

Forum spokesman Ralph Jones told the SABC it wanted the court to suspend the BRT system until proper talks had taken place.

"What we are saying is, park this whole thing until such a time that we have all spoken," he said.

"Everybody is saying that they have been talking to the taxi industry, but the taxi industry is saying, you are not talking to us," Jones said.

Referring to UTAF's application, Cronin said the forum "does not have majority support" among taxi operators.

The government did not think the application would succeed, but would obviously comply with any court order that might arise from the matter.

"The message we're sending out is that we cannot delay the implementation of these important transformations to public transport.

"It's not about government getting its way; its about sending a clear message that we can't be held hostage to delivering better, effective public transport," Cronin said.

Maseko said government appreciated the contribution the taxi industry had made "over many decades in moving South Africans around the country", and said it had worked hard to ensure it was not marginalised by the new bus system.

"All cities that are implementing the BRT system have made unequivocal commitments to ensure that the affected operators are consulted and become an integral part of the BRT," he said.

Sapa

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