Passengers used to paying R11 for a trip by taxi from the sprawling township of Alexandra to Africa’s richest square mile, Sandton, will have to cough up R30 from next week
NEWS
Passengers used to paying R11 for a trip by taxi from the sprawling township of Alexandra to Africa’s richest square mile, Sandton, will have to cough up R30 from next week.
This marks a 172% increase in the fare for a single trip and will leave a gaping hole in people’s pockets.
Passengers catching a taxi from Alexandra to other destinations will also be affected by increases, which are set to kick in on June 15.
But the organisations implementing these steep fare increases – namely, the Alexandra-Randburg-Midrand-Sandton Taxi Association (Armsta) and the Alexandra Taxi Association (ATA) – say they have no choice but to take this extreme measure, as it is the only way to remain operational.
They cite the current national lockdown regulations, which limit taxis to carrying 70% of their passenger capacity, along with government’s failure to provide relief for the industry and the recent petrol price increase – which came about after several petrol price decreases – as reasons for the fare adjustments.
ATA spokesperson Mxolisi Ximba said the organisation began deliberating about an increase when the country moved to lockdown level 4. This is when its members complained about the dire financial state they were finding themselves in.
He said members were now losing hope in the promise made by Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula to offer a relief fund to the taxi sector.
READ: Mbalula announces easing of travel restrictions under level 3
Ximba said the recent petrol price hike had made matters worse.
We took this decision because we cannot wait any longer. We are suffering
ATA spokesperson Mxolisi Ximb
“We took this decision because we cannot wait any longer. We are suffering. Taxi industry people are losing their cars every day. I have four vehicles and I am battling to pay the instalments for all of them,” said Ximba.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that government does not care about us. We do not even hear a word from our structures on progress being made in negotiations with the minister regarding how government will compensate us.”
John Mnisi, a member of Armsta’s executive committee, echoed these sentiments, saying the 70% maximum passenger load was making it too difficult for taxis to sustain operations.
“We took this decision together as local associations because we cannot afford to operate under the current Covid-19 coronavirus regulations, which do not consider issues like the petrol price increase. The current allowance of 70% carrying capacity on taxis is killing us,” said Mnisi.
In a letter sent to members this week, the two associations wrote of their intention to increase current taxi fares from Alexandra to destinations “across the board”, including the Johannesburg CBD, Sandton and Midrand, on June 15.
Armsta is affiliated to the regional structures of Top Six Taxi Management, while ATA is affiliated to the SA National Taxi Council.
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