Santaco warns of taxi fare hikes due to spike in fuel price

At midnight petrol will increase by R1 a liter and diesel by between 63 and 65 cents.

The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) says the higher prices will put more pressure on the sector’s operational costs.

"Every year in June, only then, does the national executive committee decides on whether taxi fares should increase or not. At the moment since the beginning of the year, the rate at which the petrol price has been increasing, we've realised that it has produced pressure on operational costs which places the fare increase hike discussion high on the agenda.

“We cannot discount the likelihood that there will be a hike," said Santaco spokesperson Thabiso Molelekwa.

Molelekwa said they will know by Friday whether taxi fare will increase.

"You know you can't isolate that possibility because of a number of factors, one which is that the industry has not really recovered from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic since last year.

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“Many operators faced the possible repossession of their vehicles, about 65% of them are still trying to bring their accounts up to do date and have arrangements with their financiers. So, these pressures, including the petrol price hike, are putting pressure on the industry.”