Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula has decided to relax the public transport operating hours to accommodate social grant beneficiaries. Mbalula had limited the operating hours to 05:00 – 09:00 and 16:00 – 20:00 amid the nationwide lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
From Monday until Friday, buses and taxis will be allowed to operate from 05:00 to 20:00.
In the video below, Mbalula shares guidelines on how public transport will operate during the nationwide lockdown:
Effective from tomorrow, 30 March 2020 until Friday, 3 April 2020, buses and taxis will be permitted to operate from 05:00 until 20:00 in order to cater to the transportation needs of society’s most vulnerable. https://t.co/moGD4rFrlD pic.twitter.com/DmTfTPdWrV
— Minister of Transport |Mr Fix (@MbalulaFikile) March 29, 2020
Mbalula has urged South Africans to exercise social distancing at all times.
Mbalula said in a statement that he made this decision based on the plea by a number of industry bodies and the Minister of Social Development, Minister Lindiwe Zulu.
He has urged beneficiaries to carry their Identity Documents (ID) and South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) cards.
“Grant recipients are required to carry their Identity Documents and South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) cards when travelling on public transport, to assist law enforcement efforts,” Mbalula says in a statement.
The Minister says he will issue further directions on how social distancing will be observed and enforced.
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