The taxi industry’s threat to embark on a shutdown today has forced government to make concessions on the regulations regarding public transport.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula said he will, together with major taxi associations, make an announcement tomorrow of new measures with regards to transportation of essential workers by minibus taxis.
Taxi associations had complained that the number of people they were forced to ferry, and the hours within which they had to do it were hurting their business.
“There is no need for a shutdown. Let us engage,” Mbalula said, briefing the media in Pretoria.
Mbalula said government was not going to take decisions on the subsidy for the taxi industry in the midst of the discussions with the industry over measures on Covid-19.
The minister noted that the issue of subsidy had emerged in the talks with the industry.
“We cannot, because of the virus, make decisions that will not be sustainable; we undertake decisions on our toes about subsidy which we have not looked at and at the same time processed properly through government,” he said.
Mbalula said subsiding and regulating the taxi industry – which transports millions of South Africans – was on the agenda of government before the outbreak of the coronavirus.
He said a taxi indaba was going to be held to discuss the industry.
