Mbalula increases number of commuters in taxis
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has increased the number of persons allowed in a taxi over the course of the country’s 21-day national lockdown.
Mbalula and the taxi industry managed to find common ground after the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) earlier threatened to withdraw its services completely.
The taxi organisations claimed the strict lockdown regulations made it impossible for them to make a profit.
Briefing the media at Noord Taxi Rank in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Mbalula said the new regulations will allow drivers to fill up 70% of vehicles if commuters are not wearing masks.
The new regulations are as follows:
A minibus licensed to carry 10 passengers, is limited to carry a maximum of 7 passengers.
• A minibus licensed to carry 15 passengers, is limited to carry the maximum of 10 passengers.
• A midi-bus permitted to carry a maximum of 22 passengers, is limited to carry a maximum of 15 passengers
• A vehicle licensed to carry a maximum of 4 passengers is limited to carrying 50% of its permissible passenger carrying capacity.
Mbalula said alternatively, mini-bus and midi-bus taxis can load their maximum number of passengers provided that the all passengers are wearing surgical masks.
He admitted that the revised regulations are a risk because ideally public transport should not be operating, but that government will help supply the industry with masks.
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