“Imagine the Banking Fees”: SA Reacts to Cape Town Taxis Going Cashless Ahead of June Launch

Cape Town’s minibus taxi industry is going cashless on 1 June, and South Africans have a lot to say about it. The Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association announced the move this week. Commuters will tap cards or use the SAPAY app to pay for rides instead of using cash.

According to multiple reports, Codeta chairperson Nceba Enge confirmed that every taxi will get payment scanners and cameras. The association says the system is designed to keep commuters safer on early-morning and late-night trips. Enge admitted there could be hiccups during the early stages of the rollout.

Mzansi is divided over the new cashless system

Some commuters welcomed the news, saying it removes the hassle of finding exact change. Others pointed out that borrowing money for transport and repaying later would no longer be easy. One commuter worried about queues building up while people fumble to tap their cards.

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But it was the comments section that really got people talking. One user asked if commuters would also have to pay for the tap cards themselves. Another called for Cape Town to scrap taxis entirely and build a proper European-style public transport system instead.

Codeta says card distribution details and route logistics will follow before the June launch date.

Watch the TikTok video below:

More articles involving taxis

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• Taxi operators in Mahikeng handed over a memorandum of grievances to the North West provincial government against illegal operators and taxi ranks.
• A South African taxi driver took his passengers to the police station after they came up R14 short on their fare.

Source: Briefly News