South Africa's National Taxi Alliance has urged the government to mitigate the impact of impending fuel price hikes set for April 1, warning of inevitable taxi fare increases. The surge is linked to international oil prices and the rand's weakness, exacerbated by the US-Israel-Iran conflict. Commuters at Soweto's Bara taxi rank expressed fears over rising living costs.
The National Taxi Alliance spokesperson, Theo Malele, spoke at the Bara taxi rank in Soweto, stating that without government intervention, taxi operators will have to adjust fares. He highlighted the burden on low-income passengers, noting they already spend 60% of their disposable income on transport. "We are really cognisant of the fact that we ferry the downtrodden—the poorest of the poor—who are already spending 60% of their disposable income on public transport. This is just not fair, and we call on the government to assist in reducing some of the levies on fuel," Malele said.
Central Energy Fund data forecasts petrol prices rising by more than R5.70 per litre and diesel by nearly R10 per litre from April 1, driven by high global oil prices and a weaker rand. The conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran has contributed to these hikes, as South Africa imports fuel and diesel.
Commuters like Khethiwe Khoza and Vusi Nkomo voiced concerns. Nkomo said, "The matter of taxi fare increases is unfortunately beyond the taxi industry’s control... the war between the US, Israel and Iran has played a huge role." Khoza added that rising costs could force her children to change schools or halt education, amid stagnant salaries and increasing food prices.