Parliament’s oversight committee on transport has slammed the Western Cape taxi operators for continuing to ferry passengers around despite government’s lockdown regulations to stay at home.
This comes after dozens of minibus taxis from Cape Town were caught in the Karoo town of Aberdeen even after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of a two-week extension to the lockdown.
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Transport Mosebenzi Zwane urged the taxi leadership in the Western Cape to work with the government in enforcing COVID-19 directives and stop travelling long distances during the lockdown period.
“The committee wishes to reiterate government’s call
that people should stay at home. The need to travel around this time as is
custom every Easter weekend is understandable, but not possible at this time.
The priority for all sectors should be to flatten the curve of infections,” said
Zwane.
He said saving people’s lives should be the priority no matter what urgent
business exists in the Eastern Cape.
“The President reiterated the importance of staying at home, and results were
evident as the country saw a decline in the number of positive tests than when
the Lockdown began,” said Zwane.
If compliance with the lockdown rules meant confiscating the permits, that
should be done for the duration of the lockdown period, said Zwane.
“Government has availed a relief fund for the taxi industry. This situation is
only a temporary measure and leaders in the industry need to enhance government
message. To beat COVID-19 infection rate people need to stay at home and restrict
movement,” he said.
(Compiled by Inside Politics staff)
