Transport minister Fikile Mbalula says R1.135bn in relief funding will be shared by about 137,000 minibus, 25,000 meter taxis and 63,000 e-hailing operators, with each getting about R5,000.
In a briefing on Tuesday, Mbalula admitted that the taxi industry, which transports about 16.5-million passengers a day, contributes R50bn to GDP annually and spends more than R20bn on fuel, “got a raw deal” — but stressed they had themselves to blame for the lack of unity.
The industry had previously argued that the R1.135bn fund was a drop in the ocean compared with the losses incurred during the lockdown. The initial conditions included that taxi operations be formally registered as a business entity and the registered business have a banking account into which the relief allowance will be paid.
However, the conditions, which all the parties agreed to on Tuesday and which Mbalula read out during the briefing, include that an applicant must be an SA citizen or a permanent resident, be in possession of a valid operating licence and be registered with Sars as a taxpayer.