Taxi industry rejects government's billion rand offer
The minibus taxi industry says the COVID-19 relief payment from government is not enough for everyone.
It's rejecting the 1.1 billion rand set aside to mitigate the financial impact of the coronavirus lockdown on operators.
Instead of a once-off sum - bosses are demanding a R20,000 payment per taxi - for each month of the lockdown.
SANTACO KZN's Sifiso Shangase there are just too many operators. Our concern is that when this amount is divided to all individual operators.
"It's a shameful amount because you sharing 1 billion among 100s and thousands of operators. We have been told with that money we are instructed to give some to the drivers," said Shangase.
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The National Taxi Alliance's Theo Malele says they want the transport department to revise regulations imposed on the industry.
"The minister is also going to look into the possibility of increasing the capacity to try and mitigate the losses that we are currently incurring. It is basically to sustain the operations, " he said
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula is today expected to announce a way forward.
