Metered taxi and E-hailing drivers in Port Elizabeth are appealing to the Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula to relax the transport curfews put in place during the coronavirus lockdown.

Many drivers have raised concerns, saying commuters who are essential workers were left stranded after 9am. Public transport only operates between 5am and 9am in the morning and four and eight in the evening.

In the video below, taxi drivers voice their concerns regarding transport curfews during the 21-day lockdown: 

There are also limits on the number of passengers a taxi can carry.

Cab driver Moegamat Mujahied says the fixed times will be a major blow for the next 21-days.

“Like this morning (Friday), we had a huge problem out in Kobus Road in Gelvandale, where all the workers that had to come and work in the retail shops were left stranded. There were no taxis available and taxi quantums which are 16-seaters had to carry only seven people. It just doesn’t equalize to travel all the distance to the northern areas to town with just seven people from the business perspective it does not work.”

In the video below, the impact of the national lockdown on public transport: