Santaco not budging on full capacity of taxis

THE SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) says despite most provinces entering the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the industry would continue loading full capacity in its taxis.

The organisation’s president, Phillip Taaibosch, said despite the threat of the Covid-19 third wave, the industry would not consider downscaling passengers in a taxi.

He said the industry had come up with proposals to Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula on how it can respond to the third wave crisis.

“We have made some proposals to the minister and we have agreed that we would bring in some gadgets into our vehicles.

“It would be unfair that we should lose our belongings because of Covid-19.

I am thinking about the rest of the country but should I sacrifice my family just to save the nation?” Taaibosch said.

He said long-distance drivers had suffered because of hard lockdown and the industry was willing to sanitise commuters and for drivers to take safety measure to ensure compliance with regulations.

Taaibosch said the industry’s leaders would be sanitising people at taxi ranks in Pretoria today together with the minister of transport.

“The industry is essential, we are in an unfortunate black industry. When it comes to any negative thing on the road, they blame us, but when it comes to regarding us as a role player, there is nothing said about us. They must look at the good the industry is doing. We carry those workers to hospitals and we have worked even when people were locked at home,” he said.

Taaibosch said the taxi industry was still waiting for relief funds from government and that taxi owners would run into debt should the country go back to lockdown level 5.

“This third wave is serious. The only thing that is a minus is that the industry is owned by individuals who have agreements with financial institutions. What we can do is ensure that our passengers comply, and we will stress the issue of opening windows.”

He said commuters should hold taxi drivers who don’t wear their masks accountable, but added that most drivers were compliant with regulations.

“We are appealing to the president to take us seriously and the role we play. He must consider us as front-line workers because we take the same essential workers to work,” Taaibosch said.