Blue dot taxi to town? More details emerge in Western Cape’s plan to improve public transport

The Western Cape government hopes to improve the taxi industry in the province and the safety of passengers through its "blue dot" taxi initiative.

Around 1,300 taxis will take part in the nine-month pilot programme, which will enable passengers to anonymously rate the drivers. Performance standards include speeding, safe driving and following the rules of the road. 

Participating vehicles will be fitted with tracking technology and blue dot stickers, the provincial transport department said on Tuesday. 

The department said drivers who follow the rules will receive be rewarded financially to encourage road safety. 

“Blue dot operators are eligible to receive a monthly financial incentive based on performance.  The better the operators perform, the more they earn. Receiving a financial incentive requires meeting compliance criteria, and the amount received is based on performance against the standards set by the Western Cape government.”

The initiative was announced last month by Western Cape premier Alan Winde and former transport and public works MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela.

Madikizela commended the taxi industry for providing an essential service to hundreds of thousands of residents with limited government support.

“The minibus taxi industry is vital to our economy, providing transport to hundreds of thousands of our citizens every day. In fact, minibus taxis move more people in the Western Cape than any other form of public transport,” he said at the time.