Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula addressed protesting taxi operators in Soshanguve, Pretoria, yesterday. Picture: Jacques Naude / African News Agency (ANA) Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula addressed protesting taxi operators in Soshanguve, Pretoria, yesterday. Picture: Jacques Naude / African News Agency (ANA)
Cape Town – Taxi fares will not increase in the province as authorities, along with the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), decided against it in a meeting
yesterday.
This comes after Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula allocated more than R1 billion in relief for the taxi industry, to help ease the impact of Covid-19. The amount, however, has been rejected by associations, who wanted to increase taxi fares.
In Gauteng yesterday, thousands of commuters were left stranded following a provincial taxi strike.
Santaco provincial chairperson Nazeem Abdurahman yesterday said taxi fares in the province would be increased around September.
“The leaders at the meeting felt that they were not going to increase the taxi fares because they are putting our community first,” said Abdurahman.
“We are transporting the poorest of the poor in the community, so it will just bring extra impact on our commuters who make use of the transport, and that is the reason we are not going to increase the fares.
"It’s been a tough time with Covid-19, especially with the relief fund that is not forthcoming and due to the regulations,” he said.
“We are not satisfied with the amount of money being given to us. Because of the loss that we have, of 30% (income), we are not happy. The taxi association uses its discretion to increase the taxi fares and normally between July and August taxi fares are increased.
"We have engaged with the leadership and they agreed on increasing it in September.”
Transport and Public Works MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela applauded Santaco’s stance in the province.
“The leadership of Santaco in the Western Cape have really shown that if we, as the government, are willing to engage with them, they are willing to co-operate”, said Madikizela.
“If you increase the fares, especially during this time, the people who bear the brunt are the commuters. They (Santaco) have agreed that they will not be embarking on any strike because they understand that, as the government of the Western Cape, we have shown goodwill and we engaged them in good faith,” he added.
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