Mamelodi taxis hike fares
Taxi commuters are expected to dig deeper into their pockets after two taxi associations announce fare increase from 1 July.
Mamelodi taxi associations have announced a fare increase from July 1 due to rising fuel and oil prices.
Japhta Maubane of Mamelodi amalgamated taxi association (Mata) said his association could not absorb the petrol increase anymore
“The taxi industry had been suffering for the past three years without increasing fares, while the petrol price kept increasing,” said Maubane.
The last increase was before the national Covid-19 lockdown.
He said the industry was hit hard because a lot of things increased, including loan repayments for owners.
He said some owners had their cars repossessed by the banks as “we are not subsidised by the government like other public transport providers”.
“The taxi drivers were also complaining because they could no longer reach their daily targets. Most of them ended up quitting their jobs as a result of sky-rocking petrol prices,” he said.
Mpho Mukhari of the Mamelodi Local and Long-Distance Taxi Association (Malldta) said the increase came after consultation with all stakeholders.
He said local fares will increase from R12 to R15, while those going to town or eastern suburbs would fork out R5 more from R20 to R25.
Learners will pay R12 for a local trip and R20 if they were going to town and eastern suburbs.
The two assured passengers that the association would only increase fares once even though the petrol price was expected to increase again next month.
Early this month, the price of 93 octane unleaded petrol increased by R2.43 per litre while 95 octane increased by R2.33.
Commuters shared their opinion with Record on the taxi fare increase.
Charity Ngomane said most commuters earned a minimum wage and the increase would be a big blow to them.
She said the increase should have been a maximum of R2, but she understood that the fuel price affected everyone and a lot of things had increased, including food.
Menlyn taxi driver Livy Masemola hoped that the new fare will make a difference.
He said the high petrol price made meeting his daily targets a struggle. Working extra hours – starting earlier and knocking off later – had not helped.
Commuter Jan Kekana said he saw the increase coming a long time ago as he had heard drivers complain about paying a record R25 per litre for petrol.
“We all have to adjust to the new fares, but the government needs to intervene and come up with a plan to reduce these abnormal petrol prices,” he said.
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