Operating licence application, prepared properly
Every taxi, e-hailing car, bus and charter vehicle needs an operating licence from the Provincial Regulatory Entity, and the application is a thirteen-page form with attachments the regulator rejects for small reasons: a route described too vaguely, a tax clearance that does not verify, an affidavit not commissioned. We prepare the whole file so it goes through the first time.
What actually goes wrong
- A vague routeForm 1B says vague descriptions are not accepted. The route needs street names or road numbers and every pick-up and set-down point.
- A tax clearance that does not verifyThe regulator wants an original tax clearance. An outstanding return on any tax type makes the status non-compliant and stops the application.
- An uncommissioned affidavitForm 10 has to be sworn before a commissioner of oaths, not just signed.
- An old permit that was never convertedPermits issued before the Act must be converted to operating licences before they can be renewed, amended or transferred.
- Certified copies past their date, or the wrong founding documentA company attaches its certificate of incorporation; a partnership its agreement; a sole trader a certified ID.
What you get for R990
- Tax status checked firstBefore anything is prepared. If it is not compliant we tell you and fix it through the tax clearance service, so the licence file is not built on a document that will fail.
- Form 1B completed for your provinceGauteng, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal or any other Provincial Regulatory Entity, or the National Public Transport Regulator for interprovincial and tourist services.
- The route or area description written to the regulator’s standardDeparture point, destination, road numbers and every stop for route services; the operating area for metered taxi, e-hailing and charter.
- The Form 10 affidavit draftedReady to commission, with a note on where to have it sworn for free.
- The attachment list, tickedIdentity or founding documents, proof of address, labour law form, association letter where needed, existing licence for renewals, all checked for currency and matching names.
- Lodged where the province allows it, or handed to you ready to lodgeWith the fee amount, the office address and what to expect on the day.
- The decision tracked and the expiry diarisedWe follow the publication and objection period with you and remind you before renewal.
How it works
- 1Order and answer the formType of service, province, route or area, vehicle details, whether you have an existing permit, and your tax number.
- 2We check and prepareTax status verified, Form 1B completed, affidavit and route description drafted, attachment list sent to you.
- 3Lodged and trackedSubmitted online or by email where the regulator allows it, or handed over ready for the counter. We track publication and the decision with you.
Not sure which regulator or service type applies? Ask us first and you get a written answer within one business day.
What we will need from you
- The type of service: minibus taxi, metered taxi, e-hailing, bus, charter, tourist, scholar or staff transport, and the province.
- The route or operating area, in as much detail as you have. We write it up to the standard.
- Your identity document or company documents, certified, and proof of address.
- Your tax number, so we can check the compliance status.
- The taxi association letter for a minibus taxi route.
- The vehicle’s registration details, or the intended vehicle if not yet bought.
- The existing permit or licence for a renewal, amendment, transfer or conversion.
Frequently asked questions
Do you lodge the application for me?
We prepare it completely and, where your province accepts online or emailed applications, we lodge it with your authority. The Western Cape requires metered taxi and e-hailing applications in person, and most provinces want the applicant at the counter for a new taxi licence, so for those we hand you the finished file with a lodging checklist and you take it in. The regulator’s fee, R600 per application nationally and R627.66 in the Western Cape, is paid to the regulator on top of our price.
Can you get the licence approved faster?
No. The regulator publishes the application, allows objections and consults the municipality before deciding, and the Western Cape’s stated time is up to 60 working days. What we do is stop the application being sent back, which is where most of the real delay comes from.
What if my tax status is not compliant?
We check it before we start and tell you. The application needs a tax clearance and a non-compliant status stops it, so we fix the status first through the tax clearance service and only then prepare the licence file.
Do I need the taxi association letter before I order?
For a minibus taxi route, yes, because the regulator will not consider the route without it and we cannot obtain it for you. Metered taxi, e-hailing, bus and charter applications do not need one.
Which provinces do you cover?
All nine. Each Provincial Regulatory Entity has its own version of Form 1B and its own attachment list, and we prepare the file for the one you name. Interprovincial and tourist services go to the National Public Transport Regulator and we prepare those too.
The rest of the transport file
The licence covers the operator. The driver needs a professional driving permit, the business needs its staff registrations, and cross-border work needs the C-BRTA permit on top.
Operating licences are issued by Provincial Regulatory Entities and the National Public Transport Regulator under the National Land Transport Act 5 of 2009. The regulator’s fee is set by the National Land Transport Regulations as amended from 2 August 2024 and is paid to the regulator. Publication, objections, the municipal consultation and the decision are the regulator’s and outside our control; we prepare the application so it has the best chance of clearing first time. This is administrative assistance, not legal advice.