Taxi drivers still suffering despite amended regulations
Operators said they hope that the government can provide them with some sort of financial relief.
Some taxi drivers at the Boksburg Taxi Rank said that they were not making any profit even though the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, increased the number of passengers they could carry from seven to 10.
Mbalula amended the public transport regulations following concerns received from the taxi industry. This is after he imposed strict regulations aimed at minimising the spread of Covid-19 during a 21-day lockdown.
Before the revised regulations, public modes of transport were allowed to operate from 5am to 9am and again from 4pm to 8pm. However, these times have now been revised to 5am to 10am and again from 4pm to 8pm.
Meanwhile, the public transport must reduce the maximum number of passengers to 70 per cent of the licenced capacity, if commuters have no masks. Some of the guidelines include:
• A minibus licensed to carry 10 passengers is now limited to carry a maximum of seven passengers.
• A minibus licenced to carry 15 passengers, is now limited to 10.
• A minibus permitted to carry a maximum of 22 passengers, can now carry 15.
• A vehicle licenced to carry a maximum of four passengers is now limited to half of that.
The Advertiser visited the Boksburg Taxi Rank around 1pm on April 6 and found taxi drivers sitting and chatting to one another while passengers eagerly waited to be transported to their destinations from 4pm.
One of the taxi drivers, Mzwakhe Mthembu, who has been in this industry for the past 35 years said their business has been affected severely by the lockdown.
“All the drivers have now been divided into groups and they get to work twice in a week and can only load two times in a day. I feel like I’m just accompanying workers to work because I’m no longer making profit. I don’t even have money to buy lunch anymore,” Mthembu said.
Another taxi owner, Ben Khumalo, said: “Nothing has changed since the minister revised the regulations, the money is still not enough because still the taxi is not full to its capacity.
“Our customers are also suffering because they have to wait until 4pm to go home. We have a choice to just give up and stay home but we feel pity for our customers so we continue doing our job,” Khumalo said.
Mthembu said they hope that the government can provide them with some sort of financial relief.
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) is expected to announce an independent relief fund for the taxi industry on April 7 to support those affected by the loss of business during the lockdown.
The Advertiser sought comment from Santaco.
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