Taxi Drivers Struggle to Recover from COVID-19 Lockdown Effects

A queue marshal at Bree taxi rank says that taxi drivers struggle to fill up their taxis on weekdays.

More than a year after the national state of disaster on the COVID-19 pandemic was lifted, taxi drivers in Johannesburg continue to face challenges in their recovery. Eyewitness News visited several taxi ranks in the city to gather insights from individuals involved in the taxi industry and understand their major concerns.

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A few individuals expressed that tensions with e-hailing services escalated due to the decrease in public transport commuters. The queue marshal at Bree taxi rank mentioned missing the busy taxi tank atmosphere before the pandemic. He stated that drivers are fortunate if they manage to fill up their taxis four times on a weekday.

The marshal further noted that while taxi owners keep adding more vehicles to their fleet, commuters have seemingly found alternative modes of transport after the lockdown. Taxi drivers no longer earn what they did before, and their daily income has significantly decreased. Despite these challenges, the drivers have no choice but to continue working, even with reduced salaries.

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