On Monday morning, the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport started rolling out measures to further prevent the transmission of COVID-19 at taxi ranks by using walk-in sanitation tunnels.
The Walk-In sanitation tunnel works just like a metal detector with sprayers on the side. As you walk through you get sprayed with sanitizer.
The sanitation tunnels are part of a month-long programme to test solutions mainly acquired from interventions taken on by the Gautrain Management Agency.
MEC for Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure Jacob Mamabolo, together with Johannesburg Mayor Geoff Makhubo, have reportedly tested the performance of the tunnels and other social distancing innovations at the Bara Taxi Rank in Diepkloof.
Gauteng taxi industry leaders and the South African National Taxi Council also formed part of the programme. This pilot project is reportedly part of a province-wide programme to reorganise taxi ranks and to make the Gauteng government’s vision of “Smart Mobility” a reality.
“These measures are in addition to programmes that are already in place, including the disinfection of minibuses after every trip, loading of 70% of the vehicle’s capacity and the sanitisation of commuters’ hands, which are standard operating models,” the department said.
The minibus taxi industry, the largest transportation method of people in Gauteng, is said to face high risks of spreading the virus due to its interactive nature.
