Taxi ranks to be disinfected every three days to help curb Covid-19

All taxi ranks in Gauteng will be sanitised every three days in the fight against Covid-19 as part of a Gauteng transport department initiative.

As part of the initiative, every taxi, commuter and driver will also be sanitised, reported SowetanLIVE

Gauteng transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo launched the programme at the Sangweni taxi rank in Tembisa, east of Joburg, on Monday.

Outsurance, SA Taxi, AngloGold Ashanti, Clinix Health Group, Armscor and MTN are supporting the initiative.

Mamabolo said Outsurance would provide 120 people who have been trained to disinfect facilities to work as pointsmen.

The department will provide these workers with transport and they will move from one rank to another disinfecting the facilities.

The Outsurance team has been trained by Clinix Health Group, which will also supply them with sanitisers and disinfectant. Armscor will test all the material that will be provided to the taxi ranks to ensure that it meets the required standards.

Taxis will be sanitised daily. Gloves, masks and sanitisers will be distributed to drivers and there commuters will also be sanitised.

The ranks will also be installed with 200-litre tanks of sanitising liquid, which have been supplied by AngloGold Ashanti.

“This programme will go to the entire province. We want to touch every taxi because one taxi left out can be very dangerous. If one commuter gets inside, it can be very dangerous,” said Mamabolo.

“The programme started last week and we are intensifying it. We are really grateful to all our partners who have come on board to help fight the virus.

“This is going to have a big impact. I can say now that with the work we are starting today, no taxi will be a risk.”

SA Taxi, which provides finance to the taxi industry, has donated R3m to the initiative. Corporate affairs executive Matsidikanye Moswane said: “We saw it as an imperative as a key strategic partner to the taxi industry. We could not sit back and not do anything.”

National Taxi Alliance spokesperson Theo Malele said the industry was excited about the intervention.

“We are really happy with the support that we are now getting. Finally, all taxis in the Gauteng province will be disinfected and also passengers will be sanitised,” said Malele.

“We would have been happier if what is happening in Gauteng could be emulated in all other provinces,” he added.

The issue of sanitising public transport has been a concern to the public as previously there was no-one willing to cover the costs of providing equipment to the taxi industry.

MTN joined the partnership to promote the dissemination of correct information in public platforms.