Taxpayers still paying Covid-19 relief funds to taxi industry: Barbara Creecy

Transport minister Barbara Creecy has revealed that the department is still disbursing Covid-19 relief funds to the taxi industry.
This was disclosed in a written parliamentary response to Build One SA (Bosa) leader Mmusi Maimane's question. Creecy said R408m in a 'one-off taxi gratuity' was allocated in the 2025/26 financial year budget to allow for the conclusion of the disbursement of the 2021 relief fund, which was intended to mitigate the affect of Covid-19 on the taxi industry.
'Due to a number of challenges in the taxi industry, not all operators managed to access the relief fund,' Creecy said.
'As of March 2023, about 56,623 qualifying operating licences on the system were still not paid. Cabinet approved an extension on August 31 2023 to allow that R708m, which was the balance on March 31 2023, be paid out to outstanding taxi operators. In this regard R300m was allocated in the 2024/25 financial year and the balance of R408m has been allocated in the 2025/26 financial year to allow for the conclusion of the disbursement.'
In 2021 the cabinet approved a R1.135bn one-off payment to help taxi operators during strict Covid-19 restrictions, when the industry couldn't access other forms of relief. Creecy said the relief is granted to all legal taxi operators with valid operating licences who were in operation during the national lockdown.

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