By Mpheni Tshivhase
- Nonkululeko Aphane, a mother of one from Alberton, takes six taxis a day to reach her job in Florida, Roodepoort.
- Rising fares forced Aphane to cancel a life insurance policy. She says that money goes straight to transport and groceries.
Nonkululeko Aphane takes six taxis every day, three each way, to get from her home in the deep south of Alberton to her job in Florida, Roodepoort. It costs her about R150 a day.
The fare for just the first leg of her trip, from Alberton to Johannesburg CBD, has risen from R16 to R19 to R23 over the past year.
“The fares go up when fuel goes up, but they never come down when fuel prices drop,” she said. “It’s like groceries. Once the price goes up, it stays there.”
Scrolla reported this month that taxi fares have not dropped alongside fuel prices since at least 2017. Aphane’s own fare history matches that pattern exactly.
She occasionally joins a lift club, but taxis remain her only reliable way to get to work.
The rising cost has forced Aphane to cancel one of her life insurance policies.
“I had to use that money for transport and groceries,” she said. “Snacks, biscuits and treats have become luxuries. We only buy what we need.”
After reaching the Johannesburg CBD, she takes a taxi to drop her daughter at school before catching a final taxi to Florida. The return trip in the afternoon means three more taxis, and three more fares, to get home.
Aphane says she has had to rework her household budget as costs have climbed.
“If you were used to spending R1,000 or R1,500 a month, when prices go up you have to adjust everything,” she said. “You take money away from entertainment and other wants to prioritise transport. Sometimes you even sacrifice things you actually need.”
Pictured above: Nonkululeko Aphane’s taxi rose from R16 to R2
Image source: Supplied
