Preparing bus and taxi operators for tendering in the Western Cape

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:In an attempt to improve the efficiency of the transport system, the national government hasinstituted a new tender system for public transport contracts. Small bus and taxi operators areunfamiliar with operating in the formal sector. This study focuses on the extent of theirdisadvantage in the current tender system and recommends measures to counterbalance this.A questionnaire was devised to determine how much assistance these operators would requireto prepare them for the tender, using the model bus tender document as a basis for this. Theresponse rate was 20% with 14 taxi and 17 bus questionnaires being retrieved for analysis.The results showed that 10% of operators had no know ledge of the tender and many neededtraining in basic accounting and business procedures as well as public transport operationskills.Recommendations included institutional changes in public transport funding, managementand allocation of resources as well as the type of education and training required.These changes should be implemented soon enough to ensure that small, medium and microenterprises (SMME) operators are well prepared for the new tender system.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University