News24 reports that the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport on Monday morning started piloting measures to prevent the transmission of Covid-19 at minibus taxi ranks by using walk-in sanitation tunnels.  

According to the department, this was part of a month-long programme to test solutions derived from interventions adopted by the Gautrain Management Agency.  MEC for Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure Jacob Mamabolo, together with Johannesburg Mayor Geoff Makhubo, tested the implementation of the tunnels and other social distancing innovations at the Bara Taxi Rank in Diepkloof.  Gauteng taxi industry leaders and the SA National Taxi Council formed part of the programme.  “As one of the biggest public transport modes in the country, learnings derived from the pilot will be rolled out in major taxi ranks across the province," the department said.  These measures will be in addition to programmes already in place, including the disinfection of minibuses after every trip, loading of 70% of the vehicle's capacity and the sanitisation of commuters' hands, which are standard operating models.  The minibus taxi industry, as the largest people mover in Gauteng, faces a huge risk of spreading the virus.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Riaan Grobler at News24

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