‘Do the right thing to avoid a second peak,’ the Cabinet urged South Africans yesterday – but taxi bosses say limits on passenger capacity and other restrictions are pushing operators to the limit.
The National Taxi Alliance said it was ‘grossly disappointed’ that under the amended transport regulations, the government did not lift the 70% loading capacity or relax restrictions on cross-border taxis. It begged Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula to ‘consider the plight’ of long-distance taxi operators.
The taxi organisation’s spokesperson Theo Malele said in a statement: ‘Long-distance taxis have not operated profitably since 27 March, yet most of the taxis are still paying instalments and many are on the verge of being repossessed by the financial institutions.’
This came as Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu warned that because ‘we are in level 2 does not mean the threat of infection has disappeared’.
He said the message from the Cabinet was: ‘Do the right thing to avoid a second peak. Government is working with social partners and communities to ensure that districts are adequately resourced and organised to contain the spread of Coronavirus.’
It was confident the relaxation of restrictions, which had stimulated more economic activity, would steer the country towards economic recovery and job growth.
But the prospect of a second peak was an ever-present possibility, which only a national effort would avert. ‘That will determine how we move [going] forward,’ Mthembu said.
He singled out the ‘reckless behavior’ of those who continued to drive under the influence of alcohol, saying that everyone had a role in reflecting ‘on what we can do to act responsibly and play our part in curbing alcohol abuse’.
He said that to avoid a second peak, South Africans ‘must all maintain social-distancing, wear our masks regularly and regularly wash our hands or use an alcohol-based hand-sanitiser’.
The National Taxi Alliance said its passengers travelled in disinfected taxis, and all were ‘sanitised and wearing masks, as in any other mode of public transport’.
‘We therefore call on the minister to urgently consider the plight of these taxi operations and avoid a fallout with the taxi industry and maintain the current cordial working relationship,’ it said.
In South Africa, positive cases grew yesterday by 2 585 to a cumulative total of 618 286 (with 531 338 recoveries). Deaths rose by 126 to 13 628.
The highest tally of cases is in Gauteng (208 156), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (111 585), the Western Cape (105 273) and the Eastern Cape (85 625).