Fuel hike hits taxi owners hard

30 April 2012 - 02:08 By Sipho Masombuka
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Pumping petrol. File photo.
Pumping petrol. File photo.
Image: Gallo Images/Thinkstock

Taxi associations, battling to implement fare increases caused by last month's petrol price increase, are again reeling with news of another hike.

The taxi industry reacted with shock to the latest increase, claiming to have been left "powerless" by the news of Wednesday's 28c/litre price hike.

The increase will price a litre of 95-octane unleaded petrol in Gauteng at R12.22.

The industry which, according to SA Taxi Finance Holdings, ferries more than 4.5million people a day, lamented the string of petrol-price hikes, saying they were a blow to the poor.

SA National Taxi Council chairman Philip Taibosch said: "We have been left powerless and we are pleading with the government to find a cheaper source of fuel.

"We do not transport ordinary people but the poorest of the poor.

"They cannot afford bread but are forced to spend more than half their salaries on transport," he said.

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