Taxi drivers prepare to deal with coronavirus
Taxi drivers, owners, and marshals, are concerned for their own and passengers' safety amid the pandemic, while government plans to implement testing and screening at ranks countrywide.
Taxis are pictured parked in Florida, 16 March 2020, taxi drivers have not yet seen a drop in passengers but are concerned with hygiene in the Taxi. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark
Taxi associations are concerned for their members’ safety, but also fear that under the state of disaster, a slow-down in business would significantly hurt their pockets and the economy.
This as regular screening and testing for the Covid-19 virus would soon be conducted at taxi all ranks, according to Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula.
Speaking during a Cabinet briefing yesterday, Mbalula outlined the department’s plan to play its part in the government’s nationwide interventions on all public transport facilities since President Cyril Ramaphosa declared the pandemic a national disaster on Sunday.
Meanwhile the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) was embarking on talks with government, civil society, and the South African Council of Churches (SACC) this week to devise a plan of action for the industry. New regulations introduced by Ramaphosa meant that large gatherings of more than 100 people would no longer be allowed.
Coupled with new restrictions on commuting and a shut-down of schools, the rule posed a conundrum for the industry and South Africa’s 14 million taxi commuters.
For the Bosmont Taxi Association, based on the West Rand, it is business as usual for now.
Innocent Skhosana, a rank marshall for the group, recently had a health scare which prompted his concern about the pandemic’s effect on the day-to-day operations at his rank.
He said he wanted government to visit all taxi ranks and assist with education around the virus as well as safety measures which could be followed.
“We need to get help from government or the hospitals so the people… can help us so that we can try to fight this disease before it affects our customers, our drivers and our queue marshals on the rank,” said Skhosana.
The rank has 62 taxis, 50 of which were full and en route by 10am.
But these numbers could change drastically come Wednesday’s mandatory school closures.
“For today it was still the same like every day, people are going to work, but I don’t know when it comes for the next few days because I heard the president talking yesterday about the schools because of this disease. If we don’t get help we are going to be short of customers and our business is going to go down.”
The Doljota Taxi Association’s Harry Nethavhani runs the Doljota rank in Florida, which boasts 95 taxis operating daily.
He says since last week he began noticing commuters queuing in the rank wearing masks and gloves, and this sparked his concern that drivers also needed to start protecting themselves.
“We need a lot of protective things, and I think maybe government must come to the taxi rank and give us gloves and masks,” said Skhosana.
He, too is worried about the eminent slowdown of business as restrictions discourage more and more commuters to stay at home.
“As of now we are operating normally but there is a problem if the school has to close. Our businesses are going to go down.”
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