Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga has announced that her department has once again approached Parliament to request for an extension of the Covid-19 Taxi Relief Fund (TRF) in order to afford as many taxi operators as possible an opportunity to benefit from the fund.
In July 2020, Parliament allocated the R1,135 billion Taxi Relief Fund as a once-off payment to taxi operators to provide relief for the COVID-19 impacted sector due to restrictions that had a devastating effect on the industry.
Some of the operators were yet to be paid their funds when the fund lapsed in March last year were advised to apply for the latest allocations.
Cabinet approved the extension of the TRF in August 2023 for a further period of 12 months.The minister, who addressed the sector during a gathering in Boksburg on Thursday, indicated that this extension was to ensure that the taxi industry, which is one of her biggest partners, is not left behind.
"The taxi industry forms a crucial component of integrated public transport. It is for this reason that we will always be sensitive to challenges facing the industry as any challenges affecting one component will have implications for the entire system," Chikunga said.
The relief was to assist the taxi industry in dealing with the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which is a one-off relief based on the principle of ex-gratia payment.
This grant is to be paid only to taxi operators with valid operating licences whose grant is now set to move from the initial figure of R5 000 per taxi operator to R7 200.
She added that the when the initial TRF period lapsed on March 31, 2023, payments had been made to only 85 364, or 60%, of the 141 987 licence holders.
“As at 31st March 2023, when the TRF period lapsed, a total of 85 364 (60%) operating licenses were paid out of the 141 987. This amounted to R426 820 000 disbursement and a balance of R708 180 000 has not been disbursed.
“Based on the number of qualifying operating licences, I would like to announce an increase of the amount paid per operating licence from R5 000 to R7 200. Operators who applied in the first round of the project should apply for a top-up of R2 200,” the minister added.
During the briefing, the minister stressed that those operators who applied in the first round of the project should now apply for the top-up of R2 200, adding that the DoT had appointed Taxi Recapitalisation South Africa to implement the second iteration of the fund.
Saturday Star