By Thabo Monyela
TZANEEN- The taxi operators spared no time to make the commuters and workers to feel the pinch of the recently announced petrol exorbitant, as they announced rocketing taxi fares.
The Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) on Wednesday,31st May, announced the increase of petrol by more than R2 per litre and in response, the taxi associations announced the increase of taxi fares.
The Bosman to Limpopo and to other provinces taxi station has announced that it will effect a hike in taxi fares by 15th June, as a result of the increase in petrol that came into effect on Wednesday, 08 June.
Taxi commuters travelling from Pretoria to Tzaneen, Phalaborwa, Giyani, Thohoyandou, Louis Trichardt, Bushbuckridge will have to fork out a transportation fare of R320 per trip, while those travelling to Polokwane will pay an amount of R280.
The Molototsi and Bolobedu Taxi Associations have also made their fuel increase hardships to be also felt by the Greater Letaba local commuters as they also increased the local taxi fares.
Speaking bolobedu community based radio,Bolobedu FM, Chairperson of Molototsi and Bolobedu Taxi associations Peter Mamorobela stated that the ever changing environment, price hikes and increasing cost of living left them with no choice but to increase the taxi fares.
One of the most components to be largely left devastated by these drastic increases of petrol and transport fares are the workers, who depend on the taxis to get to work on a daily basis, while their salary wages are stagnant.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy deputy Director-General Tseliso Magubela, while addressing Parliament Portfolios Committee on Mineral resources and Energy said, the government would recommend that the companies that can have their workers work from home, should do so in orders to save employees from the rocketing transport costs.
The increase of transport fares would force the commuters and workers to flood to the hiking spots, of which the taxi industry will be largely affected.
