Western Cape transport initiative helps essential workers

Western Cape Minister of Transport, Bonginkosi Madikizela, has launched the Red Dot service in Cape Town.

In the partnership between the provincial government and the minibus taxi industry, a 100 minibus taxis will be transporting essential workers in the health sector.

This comes after health workers raised concerns over the lack of transportation after seven in the evening and before five in the morning due to the coronavirus curfew.

Madikizela says each vehicle will have a red dot sticker, making it easily identifiable for intended passengers.

Our Red Dot service is a partnership between the Western Cape Government and the minibus taxi industry to deliver critical transport services as part of the fight against COVID-19 https://t.co/KraM7zpb7X pic.twitter.com/hMS0NjrziW

— TransportPublicWorks (@WCGovTPW) May 19, 2020

Madikizela says taxi organizations have come together to form a company called Umanyano i.e. unity in English.

That company will be making available 400 taxis in total.

He says: “On Tuesday we are starting with 100 taxis to take essential services workers to and from work.”

From 1 June, the service will also transport citizens who have tested positive for COVID-19 to public isolation and quarantine centres which have been established across the Province.