CAPE TOWN - Atlantis residents now have access to free transportation to the Saxonsea vaccination site after the Atlantis Red Dot Taxi Service launched in the community on Monday.
The service officially became available to the community on Monday as premier Alan Winde, MEC for Transport and Public Works, Daylin Mitchell, and provincial health minister Nomafrench Mbombo marked transport month.
The launch was marked by the arrival of community members from Witsand for their vaccine appointment.
Mbombo said: “During the level 4 lockdown, Red Dot Taxis safely transported essential healthcare workers who were stranded due to limited public transport operating hours in the evenings. It also transported citizens who tested positive for Covid-19 or were at high risk of having been exposed to the virus to public isolation and quarantine centres across the province.
“It will take a whole of society approach to conquer Covid-19, which is why I am pleased by the partnership between the Western Cape Government and the minibus taxi industry that aims to deliver critical transport services as part of the fight against Covid-19.”
Winde said the service was launched after a need was identified in the community.
“The launch of the Atlantis Red Dot taxi service follows a need identified in the local community for free public transport to get vaccinated. The Red Dot Taxi Service is an excellent example of how the Western Cape is innovatively using public transport as part of an all-of-society approach to address important priorities.”
Mitchell said the service would assist and provide free transport to residents who need to be vaccinated.
The Red Dot taxi service consists of a fleet of 135 minibus taxis and has transported a total of 8 600 passengers to vaccine sites and made over 285 900 trips in the province. It has further ensured that:
Over 246 000 healthcare worker trips were conducted from May 18 2020.
Support was provided to over 25 hospitals including Groote Schuur, Tygerberg, Helderberg, Lentegeur, Khayelitsha District, and Brackengate.
More than 27 800 quarantine and isolation trips have been made since 30 May 2020 in the metro and rural communities.
Transported approximately 3500 patients discharged patients home from hospitals since 1 January 2021.
Cape Times