City Press reports that from Tshwane to the Vaal and from Ekurhuleni to the West Rand, taxi commuters across Gauteng will have to find alternative transport on Monday as operators plan a province-wide shutdown.
The shutdown will be in protest against government’s R1.135 billion relief fund announced on Friday, which operators described as a “pittance” that would not address the effects of the Covid-19 national lockdown regulations on the industry. While national taxi body Santaco confirmed that other provinces would not take part in the shutdown, over the weekend Gauteng taxi associations held extensive discussions to make the shutdown effective. While taxi associations have rejected government’s relief fund, national bodies have indicated that they want to engage with Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula. However, local associations in Gauteng have chosen the militant approach of shutting down public transport. George Maleke, spokesperson for the Top Six Taxi Management task team, said that the industry felt undermined by government’s relief offer because taxis had been operating at a loss throughout the lockdown. Social distancing regulations mean taxis are allowed to carry only 70% of their maximum capacity.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Giyani Shivambo and Poloko Tau at City Press
Read too, Mbalula slams Santaco’s planned shutdown in Gauteng as counterproductive, at EWN
And also, Taxi industry will get R1.135 billion bailout, but strict rules will apply, at The Citizen
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