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North West transport department clears over 3 000 permits

Published

The North West Department of Transport says it had a backlog of close to 5 000 operating permits in 2023. Taxi operators from the Moruleng District Taxi Association complain of delays and fines for operating without permits.

Phenye Vilakazi, chairperson of the Provincial Regulatory Entity in the department, gave the figures. He said the backlog stood at 4 921 on 31 December 2023. He said 3 368 adjudications have been done to date, and the remaining backlog is 1535.

Members of the Moruleng District Taxi Association (MODITA) say the department failed to process their applications. They say operators get hefty fines for operating without permits. One operator said he applied three years ago and went to a board meeting twice. He said he was told to wait 21 days for the third time and still has no permit.

The entity says the backlog comes from system failures. Vilakazi said it has adjudicated over 160 MODITA applications and those adjudications are complete. He said: "We cannot single out MODITA alone out of all association we have in the province."

Key facts

Who
Phenye Vilakazi (Chairperson of the Provincial Regulatory Entity in the Department of Transport); Moruleng District Taxi Association (taxi association whose members raised concerns about unprocessed operating…); Department of Transport (North West provincial department admitting the backlog)
What
The North West Department of Transport says it had a backlog of close to 5 000 operating permits in 2023 and has since processed over 3 000. Taxi operators from Moruleng District Taxi Association (MODITA) complain of delays and fines for operating without permits.
When
20 October 2026
Where
North West, Moruleng
Status
Reported

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