South Africans have been given until Thursday to move between provinces for the purpose of returning to work or home.
This was announced by Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula during a media briefing regarding transport regulations during Level-4 lockdown.
The relaxation of lockdown regulations to permit certain categories of employees to return to work kicked in on Friday. One point five million South Africans are expected to resume work.
“With the country moving to Level-4 and more people returning to work, we have revised the operating hours for all road-based public transport modes. All road-based public transport services are permitted to operate from 5am until 7pm with a grace period of one hour in the afternoon to complete their trips and drop off passengers because you know that curfew is taking place from 8 o’clock at night to 5am in the morning,” Mbalula said.
RAIL: PRASA #LockdownSA pic.twitter.com/SjbT6xqQMa
— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) May 1, 2020
However, Mbalula re-iterated that no passenger rail service will be operating. He says flights, except those used to repatriate people who had been stranded due to stay-at-home rules abroad, will also be on hold for a while longer.
“There will be no airport service for Gautrain that must be absolutely clear. I’ve seen other people making claims that there will be trains and so on, so there will be no trains on Monday; there will be no immediate resumption of Metrorail commuter services until we have satisfied ourselves that the risk of transmission is manageable on a corridor by corridor basis. Long-distance trains are still prohibited in Level-4.”
Masks compulsory in public
South Africans are required to wear face masks in public from Friday. Commuters are urged to observe social distancing, while bus and taxi operators are encouraged to follow sanitisation protocols.
“You are on a bus, you must have a mask. It is compulsory when you leave your house you must have a mask on your face. Whenever you go in public areas where applicable public transport masks will be provided and you will be sanitised as and when you get into a taxi or a bus no person is allowed to use public transport who is not using a face mask, it is now a law,” says Mbalula.
AVIATION: #LockdownSA pic.twitter.com/qgyjlMzPcO
— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) May 1, 2020
Under the relaxed restrictions, people are allowed to jog in the mornings between 6am and 9am; more products can be sold, and some restaurants will be opening up, but only for delivery services.
Long distance bus and taxi operators are allowed to undertake long distance travel during this window period. Maintain 70% loading capacity. https://t.co/ERE42DvFu2 pic.twitter.com/SWMaa8Hd8U
— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) May 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/EsethuOnDuty/status/1256205062222884864
Relaxed rules welcomed
Some members of the public have welcomed the relaxation of some national lockdown regulations, saying they will give them an opportunity to buy necessities.
Earlier on Friday, many shoppers flocked to the Soshanguve Crossing Mall, north of Pretoria, as some stores reopened.
The centre has put in place strong measures to ensure that customers comply with regulations. No one is allowed to enter the premises without a face mask and social distancing is being observed.
“If we don’t take this thing seriously, we are going down. So people, I trust you, let us show other countries we can keep distance and wash our hands and sanitise. Level- 4 is not a bad thing if we can comply as you saw now, we were wearing masks. They are not allowing people inside without wearing a mask. It’s all about us, the choice is yours, it’s not a matter that we must get defence force and SAPS to get people to do whatever,” said some of the consumers.
In the video below, Minister Mbalula addresses the media:
Graphic below highlights Level-4 lockdown regulations:
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