Cape Town’s urban mobility directorate, in collaboration with the Western Cape government’s provincial regulatory entity (PRE), has initiated a two-phased process to support e-hailing and metered taxi operators.
This, says the city, is to meet the demand for metered taxi and e-hailing services in the Mother City.
Cape Town’s metered-taxi industry includes vehicle drivers operating from a rank, base or an e-hailing platform.
According to the statement, the city is making available over 1 000 operating licences to e-hailing and metered taxi operators.
This move, it highlights, follows a recent review of existing operating licences, service needs, and recent legislative and policy changes.
Based on the updated demand assessment, the city says there is a need for 6 600 legal e-hailing and metered taxi operators in the Cape Town metropolitan area.
The Western Cape PRE found that 5 494 valid operating licences are currently registered on the public transport regulation system (PTRS), which is inclusive of all sub-categories of metered taxi operations: rank, base and e-hailing services.
“This represents a shortfall of 1 106 operating licences to meet current demand. However, a portion of this figure comprises expired or lapsed operating licences, where the licence-holders have not applied for renewal within the required timeframes.
“The PRE identified a total of 260 such expired operating licences and the holders of these will be notified of their status via the PTRS.
“In an effort to ensure maximum market participation, the remaining 840 are new licences that are now available for first-time applicants.”
The city explains that phase one addresses the late renewal applications for licences that expired between 1 March 2023 and 1 June 2025. Operators with expired licences have until 30 June to apply for a new operating licence in lieu of a lapsed one.
The second phase addresses new applications for the 840 new licences available, starting from 1 July.
For first-time applicants, a maximum of two applications per applicant (individual or company) may be submitted, proof of residence or commercial parking is required (lease agreements, utility bills, affidavits from property owners, or body corporate approval for sectional titles). Compliance checks are strict, and incomplete applications will be rejected, states the city.
“New licences will be valid for two years, renewable for seven years if operators demonstrate continuous service. The transfers of licences will be scrutinised to prevent resale abuse, and applicants must provide proof of vehicle ownership (if applicable) and may submit e-hailing platform records to demonstrate existing operations.
“Application periods may be paused intermittently for processing, for a period of approximately two months. Successful applicants must complete vehicle inspections at designated testing stations.”
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