South African Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula on Thursday ordered public taxi operators to limit the number of passengers in their vehicles to 70 percent of carrying capacity in a volte-face to his earlier position where he had allowed them to continue with a 100-percent occupancy.
Explaining his change of heart, Mbalula said “the public felt uncomfortable with the first measures and they urged us that we reconsider.”
“We took these issues seriously and engaged with the key stakeholders, resulting in this consensus of maximising the loading capacity to 70 percent,” he said.
However, the regulations for the COVID-19 nationwide lockdown prescribed a 50-percent loading capacity for taxis.
But “the unintended consequence of this reduction was an industry operating at a loss as a result of these regulations,” Mbalula said.
Meanwhile, his office on Thursday urged members of the public and taxi operators to take preventative measures to mitigate against the spread of the virus.
“Government will undertake a programme to assist with the distribution of masks. We also urge operators to continue to sanitise taxi surfaces and to provide hand sanitisers to the public,” the ministry said.
NM/jn/APA