National Taxi Alliance To Announce Drastic Fee Increase As Petrol Price Increase to His SA Pockets
- The National Taxi Alliance has warned commuters to expect taxi fares to increase drastically
- Petrol is expected to increase by over R5, while diesel is also expected to increase due to the conflict in the Middle East
- South Africans were worried about the impact the increases would have on their pockets
Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News's current affairs journalist, offered coverage of current affairs like food, energy, loadshedding, fuel prices, and environmental affairs during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.
Source: Getty Images
JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG— South Africans were worried about whether they would be able to afford the latest increase after the National Taxi Alliance (NTA) announced a taxi fare increase. This is as petrol is expected to go up by over R6 on 1 April 2026.
According to SABC News, the spokesperson of the NTA, Theo Malele, said that there was a likelihood that passengers could be expected to pay about R6 more if the government does not intervene in the fuel increase. He also said that the increase is due to a rise in fuel.
SANTACO demands clarity
The South African National Taxi Council spokesperson, Mmatshikhidi Phala, said that the fuel increase, which is caused by the conflict in the Middle East between Iran and Israel, is affecting the taxi industry and the commuters. She said that other garages are taking advantage of the fuel increase by increasing the price before midnight.
PAY ATTENTION: stay informed and follow us on Google News!
Phala remarked that the increases in diesel are even more concerning because of the overpricing done by other petrol stations. She added that SANTACO is acting with urgency to avert panic. Despite the increase, the government decreased the fuel levy by R3 to offset the pressure on South Africans’ pockets.
What did South Africans say?
Netizens were not happy that taxi prices might increase.
ASM asked:
“Do they ever reduce prices when fuel prices decrease?”
Warveley Violet said:
“R6 a trip twice a day, five days a week is R240 a month. For someone already stretched by food prices that are climbing because of the Strait of Hormuz closure, that’s a real hit. And the report points out that SANTACO hasn’t even set their figure yet, so some commuters could be facing even more.”
Njabulo Nzimande remarked:
“At what point does National Traffic start regulating taxi fares? This is madness. This is price fixing. What is the National Consumer Commission saying about this?”
Neli M was displeased.
“Petrol is not going up by that much, and even if it was, it’s per litre and not per passenger. When fuel went down recently, did they drop the prices?”
Thembisile Hani observed:
“The NTA must not be left to its own devices. Workers have to be protected. During COVID, they increased prices drastically and didn’t readjust post-COVID. Now the government has decreased fuel levy, but they have increased taxi fares anyway.”
Tendani agreed:
“They never reduce prices when fuel goes down.”
Concerns rise in Western Cape over fuel shortage
In a related article, Briefly News reported that Western Cape Premier Alan Winde approached the Presidency and cabinet after concerns of fuel shortages in the province arose.
Winde said that the province experienced isolated incidents of petrol stations running low. He added that such disruptions could worsen as global oil prices increase.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
