In what the government has described as the first step towards formalising the multibillion-rand taxi industry, sector bosses on Tuesday finally accepted the R1.135bn Covid-19 relief fund.
This followed months of intense wrangling, name-calling and protests over the amount and stringent conditions attached to it since it was unveiled in 2021.
BusinessLIVE reported that transport minister Fikile Mbalula said the money would be shared by about 137,000 minibus, 25,000 meter taxis and 63,000 e-hailing operators, with each operator taking home about R5,000.
Mbalula said the relief fund “is a stepping stone” towards formalising and transforming the taxi industry.
“It’s not an answer to everything. It’s an intervention. It will not address all the problems.”