JOHANNESBURG - The South African taxi industry has pledged its commitment to supporting women in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV).
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) said it is actively engaging with drivers, marshals and other industry workers to help them understand GBV and femicide, as well as how to respond when they witness such incidents.
According to Santaco spokesperson Rebecca Phala, these conversations are translating into real-life action.
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“We understand that we’ve got that responsibility. If it’s super early in the morning, we need to just go an extra mile to meet the commuter where they are. Obviously, we’ve been keeping with the right rules of the road.
“That’s just one of the many things we do to make sure that people feel safe and that they are encouraged to continue using our vehicles,” she said.
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Phala said Santaco had recorded numerous incidents in which women ran into taxi ranks while being chased or feeling threatened, as they believed they would be protected there.
However, she acknowledged that more training is needed on how to handle such cases when they are brought to the industry’s attention, particularly for drivers and marshals.
“They interact with a lot of people on a daily basis, so it's about offering that layer of support.”