- Khayelitsha parents asked the Codeta Mitchells Plain taxi bosses for a cheaper fare, and learners now pay R15 one way.
- The R15 fare applies Monday to Friday only, and parents worry the fuel price rise could push it up again.
Children in Khayelitsha have been missing classes because their parents cannot afford R880 a month for taxis. Taxi bosses have now cut their fare.
A group of parents visited the taxi bosses at the Codeta Mitchells Plain route in Khayelitsha Site C and asked for a reduced fare. The taxi bosses agreed. Learners now pay R15 one way to Mitchells Plain instead of the usual R22.
Nokuzola Mntingana, 46, a mother of two, said most of the parents survive on piece jobs.
“We are not working. High unemployment is affecting us, and to get something to eat we depend on piece jobs like washing other people’s clothes. So our children sometimes miss classes because we cannot afford R880 a month,” she said.
The parents had tried to avoid the cost.
“We applied to schools closer to our homes because we knew our situation, but the children were placed in schools that required them to use transport. We are grateful that they are paying a lower fare,” Mntingana said.
The lower fare applies from Monday to Friday only. Nombuso Zakana, 40, a parent, said the parents accept that. Her worry is fuel prices, which go up on 7 October. Petrol rises by R3.12 to R3.33 a litre and diesel by R2.84 to R3.24, according to the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources.
“It doesn’t apply on weekends, and we don’t have a problem with that, but we are concerned about the petrol price increase. It might affect us if they decide to increase the taxi fare, and we will end up paying more than R15,” Zakana said.
She said the taxi bosses have changed how she sees the taxi industry.
“It shows that the taxi industry is not as bad as most of us think. We appreciate what they did because we are parents who lost our jobs and have been struggling to get other jobs. Even those who are working are at least saving money,” she said.
Thembalenkosi Ndzulu, chairman of the Codeta Mitchells Plain route, said the taxi bosses understand that most parents are not working.
“We understand their problems and that most of them depend on piece jobs to eat. That is why we agreed to their request. Sometimes we have children wearing uniforms on Saturdays. That is what we told them: we will charge them R15 from Monday to Friday, on weekends they pay the full price,” Ndzulu said.
