The National Taxi Alliance (NTA) says it will meet with relevant government officials on Tuesday to seek relief following the latest fuel price increases.

From midnight Tuesday, the price of petrol is expected to increase by between R3.12 and R3.33 cents per litre, depending on the grade.

Diesel will rise by between R2.84 and R3.24 per litre, while illuminating paraffin will increase by R4.77 cents per litre.

The alliance says government must intervene to ensure that low-income households are not negatively affected by the fuel hikes.

NTA spokesperson Theo Malele says if they do not receive any assistance, operators may be forced to increase taxi fares.

“Government should do something about this. They cannot just sit back and fold their arms. Really, I mean, the passenger is going to be hit very hard. This means everything, all that we need to do is to be extra careful because the poorest of the poor are already hit. So, we are just hopeful that perhaps we’re having a meeting tomorrow. This may also be part of the agenda tomorrow to say, what is this that needs to be done on the side of government side to try and help us to manage this blow.”

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