Red Dot Taxi’s already transported almost 5,300 residents to Covid-19 vaccination sites.
Western Cape, South Africa (23 August 2021) – By the end of July 2021, the Red Dot Taxi Service had transported nearly 5 300 passengers to Covid-19 vaccination sites, whom either could not afford or gain access to public transport services.
The Red Dot Taxi Service, which was launched in May 2020, is assisting in providing transport to vaccine sites across the Western Cape. This vaccine service was initially limited to healthcare workers and the elderly in rural areas, but it is now being provided to those eligible to be vaccinated in all areas of the province, including those 18 years and older.
This is all made possible by the Department of Transport and Public Works in its effort to help contain the spread of the coronavirus as the province is still at the peak of the third wave.
The Provincial Department of Health identifies those in need of transport through its on-the-ground local community liaison officers and they are then transported by Red Dot Taxi through the Department of Transport and Public Works. The Department of Health prioritises the elderly and those with special needs.
The Red Dot Taxi fleet is split between its different service components, including the vaccine service for eligible individuals, the transport of people to Quarantine & Isolation facilities, the transport of discharged hospital patients, and the regular transport of healthcare workers to and from the Brackengate COVID-19 field hospital.
With a functional fleet of approximately 130 vehicles, this service has the capacity to now be expanded to help expedite the vaccine rollout in the province. Right now, anyone over 18-years-old who does not have the means to get to a vaccination site is able to make use of these services.
The designation of these taxis not only helps these groups of people, but also the public transport system at large.
by 