South Africa
Govt ‘meeting taxis halfway’ with relief fund - Mbalula─── 18:00 Tue, 21 Jul 2020
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula is adamant that the R1.1 billion relief fund for the taxi industry is not compensation for loss of business.
Speaking during the debate on his department’s budget on Tuesday, Mbalula said the provision of funding is an “honest gesture” by government to meet the taxi industry halfway.
"While we have yet to find each other on how this relief support should be disbursed, we remain hopeful that our ongoing discussions will yield outcomes that are beneficial to the industry within the limited resources," says Mbalula.
Taxi operators have argued that the R1.1 billion would translate to each taxi owner receiving only about R5 000, which would not be enough to cover costs. They want at least R20 000 per taxi.
Mbalula said the relief package is an effort to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on the sector.
