Building on taxi industry partnership for Western Cape recovery

WESTERN CAPE NEWS - In a media statement earlier today, premier Alan Winde said that the Western Cape government will be working with the taxi industry on the Blue Dot service as part of the provincial recovery plan.

According to the statement:

The Red Dot Taxi service has been an important part of our response to COVID-19 in the province- creating a safe public transport system for our healthcare workers and for those being transported to and from our quarantine and isolation facilities.

Since its launch, the service has completed over 110 000 health worker trips and over 11 400 Q and I trips.

We worked with the taxi industry in the province to ensure that the service they offered was safe- with taxis being regularly sanitised, load numbers managed and a protective screen placed between drivers and passengers.

The taxi industry have been valuable partners during this time, and the Western Cape Government, under the leadership of Minister of Transport and Public Works, Bonginkosi Madizela, continues to engage with the industry to build good working relations.

We are therefore very pleased that the Western Cape Government will once again partner with the industry on the Blue Dot service as part of our provincial recovery plan.

A working public transport system forms the backbone of an economy, allowing residents to get to and from work, school and economic opportunities in a way that is safe, affordable and reliable. The railway system has been allowed to fall into disarray by the national government and while we appreciate the announcement that the central railway line will be repaired, this may take months or even years.

The Blue Dot Service will provide monthly incentives to taxi operators and drivers to provide good service and to operate safely. We will use technology and a five-star rating system to track performance against set targets.

We intend to roll out the first phase in this financial year, using the Department of Transport and Public Works own resources. We will launch in the metro, in partnership with SANTACO, and work with up to 1000 drivers and operators on priority routes.

Two thirds of the province's commuters currently rely on taxis and the Blue Dot system will help us to improve the service commuters receive, and create a safer experience, while also supporting jobs in the industry.

Update on the coronavirus
As of 13:00 on 26 October, the Western Cape has 3424 active Covid-19 infections with a total of 115 143 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 107 388 recoveries.

The Western Cape has recorded an additional 6 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 4331. We send our condolences to their loved ones at this time.

Garden Route District cases and (recoveries):