Pretoria commuters express frustrations on taxi industry’s slow reaction on coronavirus

Most taxi ranks are not yet compliant to curb the spread of coronavirus. This was evident during the SABC’s visit to Bosman station and taxi rank in Pretoria.

It was business as usual as passenger’s board taxis to different destinations without washing their hands, sanitizing them or wearing masks.

South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), Tshwane region admitted that there were challenges in acquiring the necessities.

Commuters, in Pretoria expressed frustrations about the taxi industry’s slow reaction to the state of national disaster declared due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Commuters say the taxi industry is gambling with their lives because it is slow to roll out sanitizers at taxi ranks.

The commuter says there are no precautions at the Bosman station and taxi rank in Pretoria

Commuters says:”Well I haven’t seen mask and hand sanitisers available and being distributed at any given time when you get into a taxi.”

“They’re not readily available. So to a greatest extend maybe something must happen. I don’t know what but surely need to do something about this.”

Meanwhile the Santaco Johannesburg region appealed to people not to discriminate against those forced to use public transport.

Santaco began sanitising taxi ranks against the coronavirus in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

[embedded content]

City of Joburg measures to contain COVID-19

Source: SABC News (sabcnews.com)