A tour operator – offering bespoke tours in southern Africa to the German-speaking market – has expressed hope that Tourism Update’s campaign to highlight the personal stories of those affected by the “National Public Transport Regulator (NPTR) mess” will “get the industry somewhere”.
“It (the NPTR) is useless at the moment and has killed my business. I can’t even take them to court,” said Eastern Cape-based BoMo Tours owner, Boris Mohr, highlighting that the NPTR was directly responsible not only for the closure but also for not allowing him to increase or grow his business.
He explained that he had applied for a tourism operating licence in September last year but that he was turned down. Mohr’s next step was to take the matter to the Transport Appeal Tribunal (TAT).
“They found NPTR guilty of wrongdoing and instructed them to reconsider and issue a licence by the middle of last month – 12 months after I first applied,” related Mohr, noting that he had subsequently received a letter from NPTR to attend a hearing on October 14.
“I couldn't go as I was starting a tour in Namibia around that period and had to honour my commitment to my guests,” he said. The end result was that Mohr closed his business, had to dispose of two vehicles and retrench staff.
“I am now operating alone with one bus and as a sole proprietor, not employing anyone and doing it only for myself. Thank you to the NPTR for destroying my business and hampering tour operators’ ability to generate income. I am out,” said Mohr.
Tourism Update has undertaken to share the human side of this crisis by encouraging operators and guides to share how NPTR delays have affected them.
