Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula is due to report back to the taxi authorities on Thursday over their request to resume carrying passengers to full capacity.
Mbalula met with industry leaders, including members of the National Taxi Association (NTA), on Monday.
He expressed satisfaction over the talks, which followed the South African National Taxi Council’s (Santaco) call to its members to return to loading vehicles at 100% capacity and resume inter-provincial trips. This despite lockdown regulations, which permit taxis to load up to 70 % capacity. Long distance trips are prohibited, according to the COVID-19 laws.
Taxi organisations say with the reduced load capacity, they are unable to make ends meet including repaying the installments on their vehicles.
They have also government to reopen talks on its R1.1 billion relief fund for the industry, which the taxi operators have rejected – saying it is too small.
Andilwi nabantu bamaTaxi – if I’m being invited to a fight, andizi.
We are in the war against corona and we need to unite against it. I’ve presented the demands of the Taxi Industry to the NCCC – I believe they are fair.
We must obey the law and not challenged the state. pic.twitter.com/3t0MRcr7a3
— Minister of Transport |Mr Fix (@MbalulaFikile) June 29, 2020
In the video, taxis at Noord Street taxi rank are filled to 100% capacity:
