NATIONAL NEWS - Spokesperson Mack Makata said Tshwane Santaco was pleading with commuters, taxi associations, and taxi drivers to join hands and ensure that measures were in place in and around their various transport nodes.
“We need to ensure that we are on our guard as this is a peak season nationally.”
Makata said they had noted that various informal taxi ranks and malls were witnessing an influx of commuters.
“Our malls and informal taxi ranks have become extremely busy and we have noticed that there is not a lot of social distancing and Covid-19 regulations adherence. This has become a worrying factor.”
Makata said law enforcement also needed to assist Santaco by stopping non-compliant vehicles.
“They should send a stern warning to others who do not comply, through punishment.”
Makata said, alone, they could not fight for Covid-19 measures to be implemented.
He said, however, Santaco was playing its part through the use of foot soldiers, patrol squads stationed at ranks and Covid-19 “operation Hlokomela” to strengthen Covid-19 measures.
“We will be monitoring our drivers and commuters who remove masks once the vehicle had left the taxi rank.
“We are fighting for compliance as Covid-19 needs to be fought.”
This comes as the Tshwane metro, in a pursuit to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, has established a Tshwane regional public transport command structure to plan and implement processes to curb the spread of the Covid-19 in public transportation.
Tshwane mayor Randall Williams said the command structure was made up of representatives of the Tshwane taxi industry steering committee, Tshwane bus operators and representatives from the metro’s roads and transport department and Gauteng department of transport.
“It is also supported by both the metro and provincial health departments,” said Williams.
He said the regional command structure would ensure the safety of commuters underpinned by key three fundamental objectives, such as a complete reduction and elimination of transmission among commuters in transit, to maintain healthy public transport business operations through continued health educational talks and regular screening of drivers and rank and termini marshals.
“Since its establishment, the structure has proved to be an important and much needed platform to deal with public transport issues affecting both modes of transport in Tshwane during and post the Covid-19 hard lockdown.”
Williams said with the approach of the festive, “it is vital that this oversight is in place as residents will likely utilise public transport to go and visit their families and loved ones”.
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