TRANSPORT Minister Fikile Mbalula announced on Friday that government has offered the taxi Industry a relief package of R1.135 billion.
He said a once-off payment of around R5,000 per taxi will be paid out in due course.
Mbalula made the announcement at a briefing for his department on Friday, and said that in making the decision, government had considered the enormous losses the sector had incurred, as well as the fact that the restrictions placed on it during the lockdown were severe enough to render nearly half of taxi fleets unable to operate.
“Government has offered the Taxi Industry a relief package of R1.135 billion. Reaching agreement for this relief support for the taxi industry was a difficult process that involved extensive lobbying & convincing the relevant authorities on the importance and need for this fund,” said Mbalula.
“We have received encouraging and positive feedback from SA Taxi Finance that they will put a moratorium in place and also extend their initial one-month repayment holiday by a further two-months.”
Mbalula also said that he would be looking towards to returning to the taxi industry their ability to carry 100% of their passenger limits, and allow for interprovincial travel.
During the lockdown period, all minibus and midi-bus taxi vehicles were only permitted to load their maximum 100% passenger loading capacity, provided that all passengers wear masks.
(Compiled by Inside Politics staff)
