Covid-19 taxi relief fund ready for disbursement

Following the restrictions imposed by the government on the people’s movement in 2020, the parliament allocated R1,135 billion to a Taxi Relief Fund (TRF) for taxi operators.

The allocation of funds was said to be a once-off payment to taxi operators to provide relief for the Covid-19 impact on their sector.

Differences within the industry on fund dissemination influenced the delays in pay-outs. The Department of Transport resolved the dissimilarities an partnered up with the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) to manage the disbursement of the funds on behalf of the department.

Recently, the transport minister, Fikile Mbalula officially launched the application process for operators to access the fund. The Government Gazette outlined directions on the disbursement of the TRF and the qualifying criteria for the fund.

According to the Department of Police, Roads and Transport, all taxi operators who meet prescribed conditions are eligible to apply for the fund. This includes minibus-taxis, metered taxis and e-hailing partners, but not the e-hailing companies.

The conditions which taxi operators must comply with in order to access the funds are:
a) They must be South African citizens or permanent residents
b) They must be in possession of a valid operating licence, and
c) They must be registered as a taxpayer with the South African Revenue Services (SARS).

Application methods are as follows:

Applicants may visit the government website, https//trf.transport.gov.za org. Alternatively, they may opt to call the toll-free number 0800201971 from 08:00-17:00 weekdays or SMS the number 45864.

Furthermore, applicants should send their required documents via email to taxirelief@dot.gov.za or upload them directly to the website. Required documents include a certified ID copy or proof of business registration, proof of residence, a stamped bank account letter and a proof of tax registration number. The department urges the applicants to ensure that all their documents are not older than three months.

The department stated that a team of youngsters recruited from the unemployed youth ranks and trained by the NEF.

This initiative will provide them with job opportunities and skills readying them for the job market beyond the project.