Pretoria - At least 2 000 minibus taxi operators have made use of a special vaccination centre established in Midrand.
Understanding that time is money in the taxi industry, SA Taxi partnered with the Department of Health to establish a Covid-19 vaccination centre to fast track the vaccination of these essential workers who constantly need to be on the move.
A finance and insurance company dedicated a portion of its Midrand facilities near the N1 highway where minibus taxi operators have been receiving their share of the Pfizer vaccine with little to no inconvenience to their work.
An impressed taxi owner Elliot Nkosi from the Randburg United, Local and Long Distance Taxi Association said SA Taxi has outdone itself as he received his second jab of the Pfizer vaccine.
He said the industry did not want to see taxi operators failing to make the queues because they did not have enough time to vaccinate and still do their work - transporting approximately 15 million commuters daily.
Taxi operator Mandal Mkhize said: "I am here to make sure I receive my jab so that we do not spread the coronavirus to our friends, colleagues and our most important commuters.
"I am very impressed by what SA Taxi is doing for us as an industry and I call on other members of the taxi industry to come here and receive the vaccine. We are grateful because this allows us to do our work without inconvenience."
SA Taxi, as a partner and a friend of the taxi industry, credits the initiative to its deep understanding and appreciation of the work done by the taxi operators, marshalls, informal traders and office officials who pull together to service millions of commuters who depend on them.
The company believes that when minibus taxi operators protect themselves from Covid-19, they are in part protecting their millions of customers as well as their friends and families.
That is why the SA Taxi Foundation wanted to ensure that taxi operators had their own dedicated centre that sought to ensure that they were not deterred by long queues from doing the very right thing which is vaccinating.
SA Taxi Foundation Director Maroba Maduma said: "The availability of the Covid-19 vaccine was a welcome development, and one which presented us as SA Taxi with the opportunity to extend the support that we had provided to date.
"At the centre, members of the industry will find qualified medical staff and world class facilities which ensure that they are in safe hands throughout the vaccination process".
The SA Taxi Vaccination Centre will be issuing 200 jabs every weekday until December 31. It has a target of 24 000 jabs for this duration.
Members of the minibus taxi community may visit the SA Taxi Vaccination Centre at 179 15th Road, Randjespark, Midrand Mondays to Fridays from 8am to 2pm.
Pretoria News