Members of the Bus and Taxi Owners Association of Zambia ( BTOAZ ) on the Copperbelt have rejected the draft regulation on online taxi operators. BTOAZ Ndola branch chairman, Zihno Latife says the government should first curb piracy before regulating the statutory instrument.
Mr Latife warns that his members will convert to black number plates should the law be implemented as it will mean encouraging piracy and that the move is not welcome on the Copperbelt.
He said during a stakeholder consultative meeting organised by the road transport and safety agency -RTSA in Ndola today that piracy should be curbed first before regulating online taxi operators.
Recently Minister of Transport and Logistics Frank Tayali during a parliamentary sitting indicated that government is not against online taxi services.
Mr Tayali consequently ordered the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) to call online taxi service owners for a meeting in order to chart the best way forward.
Responding to a question from PF Kantanshi member of parliament Anthony Mumba, who wanted to find out whether the government was aware that compelling online car-hailing services to register with the Road Transport and Safety Agency ( RTSA).
And BTOAZ national chairperson, Sydney Chewe said that although the online taxi business is a welcome innovation, his association feels relevant stakeholders should be consulted.
Mr. Chewe maintains that the matter should that be addressed first is the issue of piracy which his association and other law abiding operators have grappled with rather for long now.
He suggests the ministry of transport and logistics should call for an all-inclusive stakeholder meeting that critical issues will be explained.
“We have got too main issues, you cannot bring this law when you don’t want to talk about piracy. This is not sitting well with, we pay taxes and have been partners of development,” he said.
Mr. Chewe, who later walked out of the meeting, pulling all his members and some private taxi operators said the ministry is encouraging illegality.
He said unless the ministry of transport comes up with a policy that will protect his association and other legal operators, there will be no progress on the matter.
Mr. Chewe said it is the desire of the Bus and taxi drivers and owners that the online taxi operators comply with the existing law and not to have their own piece of regulation.
In his opening remarks, RTSA Chief Executive Officer Alinani Msisya said the agency is developing a statutory instrument to provide for a legal framework on operations of online taxi services in Zambia.
Mr. Msisya said Zambia like many other countries around the world is grappling with the advent of ‘online ride-hailing operations in the transport industry.
He said online ride-hailing operations although seemingly a new phenomenon in Zambia, has been in existence in other parts of the world for some time now.
This will only benefit HHs friends in Europe and America. Everything this govt does is a deal with imperialists
Unfortunately for old fashioned taxi and bus operators online public transportation is the future that can’t be avoided. Old school taxis will resist because they make their money from exploitation while online taxis are economics based. With online a cab always moves with a passenger because customers can be spotted near every destination. South African dinosaurs tried a bloody war to stop Uber and failed. Nowadays they have joined Uber and other apps. So just be forward thinking.
WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH TECHNOLOGY
WE CANT LIVE IN THE DARK AGES FOR EVER
unfortunately this is the new way. My advise to these guys is register your own online service and convert your taxis as an association so that you are not left behind. Its Could be C-BOT (copperbelt Online Taxi). Just get ready to move forward
Mr. Chewe, who later walked out of the meeting, pulling all his members and some private taxi operators said the ministry is encouraging illegality.
I SUPORT MR. CHEWE FOR NOT AGREEING WITH MINISTRY WHICH IS NOT LISTERNING.
I JUST BROUGHT IN A SPACIO ;
1. I HARD TO PAY K240.00 AS PRESSUMPTIVE TAX. (2) I PAID FOR IDENTITY K400.00. (3). I PAID FOR ROAD CERTIFICATE K400.00 (4). FITNESS K50.00
(5). INTERPOL K350.00 (6). COPPER RIBBON K600.00 (7). SIGN WRITTING K300.00 (8). REFLECTORS K150.00 (9). WHITE BOOK K364.00 (10). FIRST-AID BOX & A FIRE EXNTIGUSHER K1,000.00 = K3,867.00 whilest those pirating and the so called online taxi’s pays nothing GRZ. QUARTERY WE PAY.
There is not only just too many payments, the amounts are too high as well. Governmentshould not strive to make money out of citizens.
Who is stopping you from using the same online platform? do not resist change! if its working well simply join in and make your money. stop PHD and lets help each other win.
Taxi operators pay all these fees @5 above cites. What for? Then they pay road tolls? It’s Iike government is out to milk the citizen out of every ngwee he wants to make
Who’s the real stakeholder here? I think the passenger is the real stakeholder. The passenger has opted for the online taxi so I don’t know why someone would want to think for him. Just normalize the registration.
Zambians with a Corrupt mind rejecting online service. Don’t you know that Technology is the future? Encourage competition are people pirating not Zambians? The Taxi association should be barned its useless. We want empowerments for all. To hell with BTOAZ