The ongoing taxi strike in the Western Cape has brought the public transport system to a standstill, with devastating consequences. This strike has lasted over a week now, and as minibus taxis are responsible for transporting around 75% of public transport users in the area, or about a million passengers per day, the impact has been significant. The Western Cape Department of Mobility has stated that these taxis serve areas not usually covered by other public transport services.
South African farmers have been facing the consequences of drought for the past few years, and the current shortage of animal vaccines poses more threats to their livelihood. The Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Ivan Meyer, emphasized the urgency of the situation in response to a statement from the Red Meat Producers Organization’s National Chairperson, James Faber.
The City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Mobility Department and Public have recently announced that 1,296 new meteredtaxi operating licenses are still available to those in the industry. The City lifted a twoyear moratorium on new applications for meteredtaxi operating licenses in February 2023.
