March 16, 2007
By Lucille Davie
BENEATH the tall, striking, face brick silo structures of the Sandton Library, a plaque for the Sandton taxi rank was unveiled this week.
Jack van der Merwe, Eric Motshwane, Ignatius Jacobs and Rehana Moosajee at the plaque
The old rank, in Rivonia Road around the corner, was closed to make way for the construction site of the Sandton Gautrain Station in December 2006.
Ignatius Jacobs, the Gauteng MEC for transport, roads and works; Rehana Moosajee, the mayoral committee member for transportation; and Eric Motshwane, the chairman of the Greater Johannesburg Regional Taxi Council, unveiled the plaque on Thursday, 15 March.
Construction of the 40m deep station has caused road detours around the site. The northbound lane of Rivonia Road has been closed and the southbound lane carries the northbound traffic. Southbound traffic has been diverted from West Road into Katherine Street, joining Rivonia Road again at Sandton Drive. These detours will remain in place until early 2010.
The change-over point for north, south and airport commuters, the Sandton station will be the deepest of the 10 Gautrain stations.
A view from the sky of the Sandton Gautrain Station site
"The opening of the Sandton taxi rank is undoubtedly a milestone," Jacobs said, paying tribute to the taxi industry in the province. "We need to acknowledge the importance of the public transport service that the taxi industry continues to provide to Gauteng residents, transporting the majority of the working people of this province on a daily basis."
Temporary rank
The previous rank accommodated 200 taxis which transported 5 000 passengers to the Joburg CBD, Alexandra, Rabie Ridge, Tembisa, Ivory Park, Randburg and Tshwane daily. The new rank can accommodate 120 recapitalised taxis; it will be in use for four years, when a permanent rank will be opened.
Jacobs stressed the partnership between the taxi industry and the provincial government, saying the former was playing "a major role in the growth, development and sustenance of our country".
It was becoming legal, with taxi associations registering to pay unemployment insurance contributions and tax.
The new rank provides shelter for passengers and taxi operators, with ablution facilities, a taxi office, a marshal's hut and 18 stalls for informal traders. And taxi drivers seem pleased with their new space.
They say they are "very happy" with the new arrangement, particularly as the previous rank had no ablution facilities.
From 2010, when the station opens, there will be an integrated public transport interchange at the site. Under this, the City's new Bus Rapid Transit system will link with the Gautrain and taxi operators.
Project leader Jack van der Merwe said that co-operation from all parties was necessary. "This wouldn't be possible without the taxis."
Motshwane urged his industry to look after the rank. "This is our facility, let us put it to good use. Let's pull up our efforts. Let us give the passengers a sense of safety and belonging."
Jacobs concluded proceedings by saying that the Gautrain would "go a far way in meeting the Gauteng provincial government's objective of building and positioning Gauteng as a globally competitive city region".
Stressing that the province's municipalities were co-operating to bring about this aim, he said, "This partnership approach in relocating and building the temporary Sandton taxi rank is proof of this."
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