AS of Monday, it will be back to four-four masihlalisane as taxis will be back to loading at 100% capacity.
Long distance taxis will also be on the road ferrying commuters from one province to another.
This is all despite the level 3 lockdown regulations that are in place.
This was the resolution taken by the national leadership of Santaco following their meeting on Saturday night.
Speaking during the Santaco's virtual press conference, Santaco president Philip Taaibosch said, "We have decided that leadership of SANTACO provinces must inform their structures that of tomorrow (Monday), all taxis must load 100% capacity and long distance operators must resume work without permits as a requirement."
Under the current regulations, taxis are required to load at 70% capacity and should only be transporting commuters within their respective provinces.
With the resolution taken by the taxi industry, social distancing, which is the main reason to their lack of profit has been thrown outside the window.
However Taaibosch said taxi operators are are still required to adhere fully to the other regulations put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Taaibosch said the necessary safety measures should be followed.
*Wearing of masks in the taxis which is compulsory in terms of the law
*Sanitisation of taxis and commuters as they board taxis
*For long distance taxis, marshals must ensure that all boarding commuters are screened and recorded and that a proper filing system is kept safe.
*Regional Taxi Councils of respective long distance taxis must be given weekly
reports of this information including taxis that loaded.
*Associations must ensure taxi drivers do not load beyond the taxi’s legal loading capacity.
*Taxis and drivers must also ensure sanitisation at the end of work.
Taaibosch added, 'We have taken this decision against the frustrations and lack of direction from government.
The resolution by Santaco is against government's lockdown regulations, which will lead to possible impounding of taxis by law enforcement.
He said, "We are aware that law enforcement will want to impound our taxis. Our vehicles have been impounded since day one of lockdown with a charge of at least R5000 if you want to release your taxi.
"We have complained about this wrongful impoundment to the Minister and nothing has been done
to this day."
He added, "Tomorrow we will not accept any form of impoundment. Operators will have no option but to park all their taxis countrywide until the impounded taxis are released and we are allowed to continue with our work."
Minister Fikile Mbalula last week announced the government would give the taxi industry a covid-19 relief fund of over R1 billion.
But this was rejected as the taxi industry demanded more money and were unhappy with the conditions.
That led to Santaco in Gauteng embarking on a strike which inconvenienced millions of commuters in the Province.
"We have rejected the relief fund of 1.135 billion by the Minister and we still do. If indeed government wants us to accept R3500 that the Minister wrongly claims to be R5000, then it is clear that our government is on a project to destroy the taxi industry.
"It is therefore our intention to defend our business. The meeting with the Minister, if it happens, have now changed course."
