Mpumalanga taxis are ready for online booking system
The local taxi association said it is pleased to hear about this initiative as it will be of great benefit to passengers.
The South African National Taxi Association (Santaco) said it has plans to launch a new system that will allow commuters nationwide to book their seats online for long-distance trips. The local taxi association responded positively to this initiative, and said they look forward to the change it will bring in the transport system.
Local taxis are one of the efficient means of transport used by commuters to get to work and various destinations. The Top Star Taxi Association’s chairperson, John Mavundla, said they are ready for the online system. He said they support the idea and look forward to it being implemented in Mbombela. According to him, using the online system will make a positive impact.
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“This will make the commuters’ lives easy as they will not have to travel all the way from their areas only to realise that all the long-distance taxis are all gone. They will no longer have to carry cash as they will be able to swipe, too,” said Mavundla.
“Some commuters have been victims of crime as they get robbed of their money. Now they will not be stranded as they would have booked online,” he said.
Santaco’s national spokesperson, Rebecca Phala, said the residents of Mpumalanga must know that the taxi industry is planning on bettering its service offering to them, especially those utilising long-distance taxi services.
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“We will be introducing an automated booking system called ‘Book a Seat’, which will allow people to cut through queuing and plan their travelling better. It will equally help taxi associations to plan the availability of vehicles better. It is the industry’s way of embracing technology while equally managing our fleet effectively. They must know it will not cause any friction, but rather improve everyone’s experience. It will need everyone’s co-operation.”
Phala said the commuters can expect to start receiving more information about the system as soon as July this year. “We kindly ask everyone to test the system and give input on what we may need to change to best suit their preferences. These technological advances are intended for their own ideal public transport experience,” she said.
