Taxi industry has plan to limit spread of virus
The largest taxi organisation in the country has set out a plan to limit the spread of Covid-19 in the sector that provides essential daily transport for an estimated 16.5-million passengers.
SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) president Phillip Taaibosch told reporters at the Wanderers taxi rank in Johannesburg on Wednesday morning about measures the council will take to limit the spread of the virus.
Rapidly spreading Covid-19 has infected more than 185,067 people in 155 countries and regions.
The taxi body’s measures included cleaning and disinfecting taxi ranks and minibus taxis with certified chemicals every day, he said.
Taaibosch said that there were more than 1,000 taxi ranks in the country.
Transport minister Fikile Mbalula has said there will be random screening of passengers for Covid-19 at all taxi ranks and train stations, and the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) will sanitise all of its trains.
Passengers will also be sanitised as they enter and leave taxi ranks.
Taaibosch said: “All taxis will have sanitisers offered to all passengers as they enter the taxi and after handling taxi fares. Everybody in the vicinity of the taxi rank must cover their mouths when coughing and sneezing.
“Queue marshals are encouraged to ensure that passengers observe hygiene standards ... such as the [frequent] washing of hands.”
Santaco has formed a national command centre, chaired by Taaibosch, aimed at monitoring the implementation of the taxi industry’s programme on Covid-19.
The programme will be taken to the bustling Bosman taxi rank in Pretoria and to the Kempton Park taxi rank, among other places.
“I want to emphasise that this task ahead of us is not easy.
We anticipate challenges, but we remain [resolute],” said Taaibosch.
“We acknowledge steps taken by President [Cyril Ramaphosa] ... Santaco will take such steps to reduce spread of coronavirus. We also thank the media for its interest and thorough communication on this issue.”
Ramaphosa declared the coronavirus to be a national disaster on Sunday. He also ordered the closure of schools and banned gatherings of more than 100 people, among other measures.
Taaibosch said: “I’m confident that when we all pull together in one direction, we will beat the coronavirus spread and eliminate it completely.”
Political parties, including the
ANC and DA, together with municipal workers union Samwu have announced the postponement of their scheduled councils and conferences in a bid to help curb the spread of the pandemic.