Western Cape Transport on the lockdown and the impact on the transport of essential workers

Since the Covid-19 lockdown commenced last week, we have received numerous reports of essential services workers, including healthcare and retail staff, being stranded and unable to get to work. Disturbingly, we have also received reports of minibus taxi operators refusing to allow their usual passengers to use alternative transport and, in some cases, violently attacking alternative means of transport for essential services workers. This is unacceptable and is happening despite our commitment to work together to address the challenges of the lockdown.

Many of the essential services workers that have been left stranded would ordinarily have used minibus taxis. Fewer minibus taxis are operating than normal, with some operators being unwilling to do so due to the new restrictions placed on their operating capacity by the public transport lockdown regulations. Minibus taxis are now only permitted to carry 8 people, rather than the usual 16 (i.e. 50% capacity). During the lockdown, all…

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South Africa Today – Accidents