Pretoria - Tshwane taxis and buses have begun carrying crowds of passengers who want to depart early to their holiday destinations.
While larger crowds are expected to fill up long distance taxi ranks and bus stations from next week Friday, taxi operators and bus drivers had their work cut out for them from early in the morning.
The biggest bus stations like the one in Bosman Street in Pretoria, had scores of passengers with lots of luggage ranging from food to clothes, furniture and building material like windows and doors.
These passengers were ready to travel to all parts of South Africa and outside the country for the first time under Covid-19 regulations which limited long distance vehicles capacity for maximum safety.
While most people were leaving Gauteng from the Bosman Bus Station some people were also arriving from other parts of the country to spend their holidays with their families in Tshwane.
Spokesperson for the Tshwane taxi industry McDonald Makata said long distance travels were expected to today and the industry was prepared for it.
He said they encouraged operators to remember that long distance travels were still limited to 70% capacity and any ambitions of greed to contravene that would be reckless during this Covid-19 pandemic.
He said the industry would also be working with authorities to patrol taxis and ensure that operators were not straying from the rules of the road and regulations of the National Disaster Act, which includes overcrowding.
Zimbabwean nationals Emmanuel and Brenda Ncube said they were happy that this festive season came at a time when the international travel ban was lifted, otherwise they would not see their parents for two years in a row.
Brenda said: "We don't go home a lot because it is expensive and it is far. When we had a good year and we saved up some money, we go home in December to be with our parents.
"In terms of business this was not a good year for us as we sell clothes in Marabastad and at Mabopane Train Station. However, because of this Covid-19 we decided just to go home and be with our parents and siblings."
Mayor for the City of Tshwane Randall Williams and spokesperson for the Tshwane Metro Police Department senior superintendent Isaac Mahamba wished travellers safe trips on the N1 highway on Thursday.
Williams said hundreds and thousands of travellers would be moving through Tshwane as it links various parts of the country. He said everyone travelling should remember to be wary of pedestrians on the road, and ensure not to spread Covid-19.
Pretoria News