KNYSNA NEWS - Uncedo Taxi Association Knysna branch has brought much-needed relief to its 150 members by donating food parcels to help them get through the difficult lockdown period.

Knysna taxi businesses have suffered a great deal since the start of the lockdown, with taxi bosses claiming they don't earn enough money to cover expenses and drivers' remuneration.

On Friday, the association donated food parcels comprising maize meal, flour, sugar, vegetables and meat to help ease the financial pressure on its members.

One of the beneficiaries, Xolela "Bhanqo" May, said the food came as a huge surprise and relief for taxi bosses as they did not know how they would survive the lockdown. "We only make R200 a day which is not enough for us to pay our drivers and even pay the instalments for the Quantums at the end of the month. Some owners ended up driving their own taxis because the money is not enough to pay a driver and feed their families at the end of the day. We also have to buy petrol for the Quantums out of the R200," he said.

May added that they feel proud to be members of the association. "This is the first time we have such a thing in our association since 2004. This shows we have a leadership that supports its members," he said.

He also said that from now on their families will be proud of their business as the donations are proof that the association cares for them. "We are an abandoned type of business as the taxi industry and we do not receive any support from government, but we are contributing a lot to the economic development of this town on a daily basis," he said.

The taxi owner explained that one Quantum feeds at least three households – that of the owner, the driver and their families in the Eastern Cape.

Uncedo Taxi Association branch chair Thobelani Swartbooi said the organisation could not sit by and watch their members struggling during this time. "We took money from the organisation and bought our members groceries which include fruit, vegetables and meat," he said.

"We felt as an executive that we should make our members happy during this time. We said let's stop spending money on braai and use the money to feed our members' families in this difficult time. Our members have welcomed this, both those who are at their homes and those who are still active in the business. This is a huge step and we are planning to do the same for our drivers as well," Swartbooi said.

He added that they don't know what will happen after the first seven days of Level 4. "Maybe we will be told to go back to the limited hours where we worked from 5:00 to 10:00 and again from 16:00 to 20:00."

Uncedo Taxi Association members receiving their groceries from their Knysna branch executive on Friday.

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