18/02/2021
(COMPREHENSIVE) Update on A2B Carletonville
We would like to take this moment to give an explanation why our operations stopped and what has since transpired and where we stand currently.
Before we started A2B Carletonville, we tried our best to do our due diligence and make sure that we had our ducks in a row so that we don't experience any glitches. This began with me doing presentations to taxi associations to explain to them the nature of our business and give the industry assurances that we were not in anyway competing in their territory, but complementing the industry. To the credit of the associations, we got their blessing to operate. I did a total of 3 presentations.
We then went about working out the best strategy to go about this service. The process was long and arduous, but we managed.
We got off to a strong start and the service was welcome by the community of Carletonville.
Shortly after Level 5 lockdown, our driver was stopped by a traffic department member and I was asked present myself at the traffic department. I met someone at the department who explained that we needed to have in position a 'Operator Card' if we are to use a vehicle for rewards (revenue). This was an oversight on our end as a business because we had completely missed this aspect. I asked for the process to acquire a operator card and chaos ensued.
If you buy a taxi and want to operate in any area, you will be parked in a public facility while waiting for your customers. For this reason, you need to apply for a operator card from town council. Council then checks with taxi associations to ensure that they are aware of this new "member" and that there's enough space at the taxi rank for you to park. We are not like the taxis, so this didn't apply to us.
If you go plan on farring school kids, you have to get a letter from the school and then if all is in order, a perit is granted. This is and was not our plan, so this doesn't apply to us.
If you go the meter-taxi route, like the 1st example (normal taxis), the car will be parked in a public space when waiting for customers, so similarly, the town council has to check that there's space for you to park and grant a permit if there's no issues. Although this is close to what we would be doing, it is not applicable to us because we don't park at any facility and wait for customers.
South African legislation has not caught up to a business model like ours and nobody knew for sure how to deal with us. We were then sent from one department to another and getting no joy.
Over 10 months went by with us being sent from pillar to post. All the while, we still have a staff member to pay a salary and other financial obligations that resulted from running our business.
3 weeks ago I sent an email to our Municipal Manager asking for the council's intervention because we were seemingly not getting anywhere and frustrated.
The office of the MM did intervene and I was contacted by our traffic department. Again. For the umpteenth time. Coincidentally, there was a planned meeting at the Fochville traffic department with a delegation from Provincial Office in the next week. The local traffic department contact then made sure to organise a meeting between me, herself and some of the members of the delegation.
It was determined in the meeting that we were unfairly treated and should be assisted to bring our operations back "online"
We do, however, need to apply for a operator card. The process was laid out to me and I will be submitting all required documentation in the coming week or so. We are therefore still not operational, but there's light at the end of the tunnel.
We would like to apologise to our customers for the silence ... we honestly had no idea what to say. It was not clear to us why we had been stopped. Not clear to us and not clear to the authorities. We have now paid our tuition fees and hope that the next young, black kid looking to go into such a business will not have to go through all the hoops.
My next update should be about our COME BACK and it will be with a BANG!
"The trailblazers in human, academic, scientific and religious freedom have always been nonconformists." MLK
