No face mask, no taxi ride

A taxi driver, owner or operator may not allow any commuter not wearing a mask to get into any form of public transport. So said the chairperson of Top Star Taxi Association, John Mavundla.

Some commuters have become relaxed after the country had gone back to level 1 lockdown last year. This has raised concerns in the local taxi association, as it puts both commuters and drivers in danger of getting exposed to Covid-19.

“We have lost some of our members to this virus and we have heard many other families out there losing loved ones. This should be a wake-up call to all of us.”

As the statistics of Covid-19 increase, Mavundla said the public needs to be more vigilant than before. Mavundla placed himself in quarantine before he got his Covid-19 test result. He does not want anyone to go through what he has experienced.

“This second wave of the virus is dangerous and it is killing people daily. The passengers need to understand they cannot wear a mask while outside the taxi and then take it off when they get in. It is very important that they all follow the regulations all the time. The members of the association can work in unity with the public to fight this,” he explained.

As a leader during this quarantine, he sent out messages to association members to continue raising awareness among commuters.

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“We have WhatsApp groups on which we communicate and share information regarding regulations. We also talk about challenges the taxi operators face while transporting people. At the taxi rank in Mbombela we have people that are constantly making announcements to the commuters on how important it is to follow regulations,” he said.

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According to the Department of Transport’s Covid-19 regulations, a mask can be a cloth face mask, a homemade item or another appropriate item that covers both the mouth and nose.