The Supplier Development Initiative (SDI) is throwing its weight behind the sanitisation of taxis in line with the international emphasis on protecting commuters when they are at their most vulnerable.
The SDI is a platform made up of multiple micro-suppliers, which was re-purposed to function as a non-profit, emergency relief programme during this national crisis and they recently initiated the adopt-a-safe-passage to work/school campaign.
The aim is to decrease the risk of infection in taxis by up to 80%. This is being done by the full sanitisation of taxis, a barrier between drivers and commuters, hand sanitising stations on entry and exit, and the installation of ventilation spacers on windows.
Commuters and drivers will also be informed at various points on the necessary changes needed in behaviour. Awareness literature and stickers inside taxis will detail how money should change hands before departure, and entrench the need for social distancing. All taxis will enforce a “no mask, no ride” policy. So far 5 000 school taxis and 1 000 commuter taxis have been fitted out, but there's an urgent need to transform the entire industry nationwide, and to ensure the ongoing safety of every passenger.
“The taxi industry is the connecting force for a huge part of our population, and we are compelled to ensure that these commuters are as protected and secure as possible,” says Brad Fisher, SDI Force co-founder.
“SDI Force collaborated with leading authorities in public health, communicable disease specialists, risk compliance experts, occupational health practitioners and even production engineers who assisted us with the taxi modification equipment,” he said.
There are two objectives: the first to help mitigate the effects of the virus, and the second to ensure job security for this “incredibly” hard-working group of suppliers, said Fisher.
The organisation also provides food parcels to micro-traders that would have, otherwise, fallen through the cracks. It has also trained up waste pickers, up-skilling them become Covid-busters. They have assisted in spraying public spaces like taxi ranks, commercial enterprises, waste collection depots and even the mayor's offices.
Adopt-a-Safe-Passage is endorsed by the City of Johannesburg, the Department of Transport, the Department of Education, and the Gauteng Province, and has been bolstered by the support of Bridge Taxi Finance and FNB, who have together contributed R6 million to the initiative. This money has been used for the hard costs needed to make 7 000 Gauteng taxis Covid-compliant and safer.