Online bookings for long distance taxi fares to commence

Public transport commuters who utilise taxis will, from the end of the year, be able to book their long-distance travel online.

This was recently announced by the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco), who said the system was still in the planning phase, but was expected to be similar to the online booking services of Uber and Bolt.

Reported to be the most cost-effective means of travel – especially for long distance – an estimated 30 000 – 50 000 taxis were expected to have been travelling the country’s roads this Easter weekend.

“We are trialing [the] system in parts of Gauteng and KZN, where we’ve got cards that people essentially purchase and they load them with points, [which] allow them to essentially pass the queue when they get to the taxi ranks,” said Santaco spokesperson Rebecca Phala, speaking about the system.

“But obviously we’re looking to soon launch a far more sophisticated system which will then allow commuters to book their seats while they are still in the comfort of their homes, similar to what you would have in the bussing and aircraft business. It’s something we’re hoping that by the festive season will be a reality.”

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