Where’s the taxi relief fund Ramaphosa, Cope asks, as price hikes loom

President Cyril Ramaphosa including Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula must stop lying to citizens of this country, according to the Congress of the People (Cope), which believes a promise to provide public transport with some relief during the Covid-19 pandemic was a hoax.

“What happened to the Disaster Fund, what happened to the Taxi Relief Fund?” asks party national spokesperson Dennis Bloem, who stopped short of calling the president as well as the transport minister liars, who make empty promises to citizens.

“President Ramaphosa announced a Disaster Fund, telling the country that this fund will assist all businesses in distress during this difficult time of the lockdown.

“Minister Fikile Mbalula made promises to the taxi industry, promising them that government will assist them through the relief fund. Nothing is coming forth, only empty promises.

“Shocking news is that taxi associations have decided to drastically increase taxi fares from 15 June, as they can’t keep up with the lockdown regulations.

“Their businesses are collapsing. It is totally unacceptable that government continues to discriminate against taxi associations while Gautrain and other bus companies are being subsidised by government.”

The party calls upon taxi owners, drivers and passengers to rise up and raise their voices.

“They must not suffer in silence.”

Meanwhile, the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) has announced a price fare increase which will impact every association across the country from June 15.

Santaco secretary Ralph Jones said the industry was hit hard and as a result was forced to implement an increase from R13 to R30 – as of 15 June.

Due to Covid-19 regulations limiting the number of people allowed in a taxi, operators had lost a substantial amount of money, Jones said.

“Government had not compensated or subsidised associations, as relief funds were never handed out.

“The government started to make noise, saying there was a relief fund for the taxi industry, which was never done.

“Because of that our cars are being repossessed, our drivers are not working because they are fighting with the operators or their owners, and petrol is expensive.”

Government needed to come to the fore, as the industry was losing business, Jones said.

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