Local taxi industry in eMbalenhle area prepares for the festive season
They are however worried about the new curfew as announced by the president of the country on Monday because their drivers travel long distances to provinces such as Eastern Cape which was announced as the Covid-19 hotspot.
eMBALENHLE – Both the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco Mpumalanga) and Vukanini Taxi Association (Vukta) visited local taxi ranks in Govan Mbeki municipal area on the 16 December to inspect the minibuses’ readiness for long distances.
They also made sure that drivers and commuters comply with Covid-19 regulations, such as the wearing of masks and sanitising.
They are however worried about the new curfew as announced by the president of the country on Monday because their drivers travel long distances to provinces such as Eastern Cape which was announced as the Covid-19 hotspot.
“Our drivers are equipped with the necessary equipment, like scanners and enough sanitisers and we told them not to use speed to run away from the curfew,” said Mr Vusumuzi Vilakazi, secretary of Gert Sibande Regional Taxi Council.
“If they are still far from their destination when it is curfew time, they must find a safe place to rest until the right time when they may continue on their journey.
“We request our passengers to be patient with us as we are following regulations,” said Mr Vilakazi.
He said drivers must screen passengers and make sure all passengers wear their masks before getting into a taxi.
The drivers are trained on how to use a scanner.
“Our passengers must report a driver who doesn’t want to comply.
“If passengers notice that the driver is rude, they must take down the registration number and report the driver to our rank officials who will be available all the time so that necessary steps can be taken against that particular driver,” said Mr Aron Mahlangu, Vukta spokesman.
