Overview
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Western Cape Health Department faced an urgent need to protect its healthcare workforce from infection – particularly those using public transport.
In the early days of the pandemic, there was a deep stigma around healthcare workers, who were regarded by many in their communities as potential carriers of the disease. For many staff, normal public transport was simply not viable. Further, many healthcare workers were left stranded during the national lockdown because their shifts did not align with the curfews.
The Solution
Pegasys worked with the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works (WCTPW) to launch an innovative intervention called the Red Dot Taxi service. Initially, Red Dot sought to transport:
- healthcare workers to and from hospitals safely
- patients who required temporary accommodation at quarantine and isolation (Q&I) facilities to reduce the risk of any further possible infections.
Minibus taxis were the primary mode of transportation for many of these healthcare workers, with each vehicle outfitted to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Strict health and safety procedures were followed, including:
- cleaning and sanitisation of the vehicle after every trip
- hand sanitiser on board for passengers and the driver
- compulsory wearing of masks by all on board
- protective screens
- less-than-50% capacity, or seven-passenger restrictions.
The Challenge
Red Dot was the first provincial partnership of its kind between government and the taxi industry. It is a pragmatic, workable solution that is affordable to government, and also brings the taxi industry on board. This is vital in the Western Cape, where the taxi industry carries the majority of public transport passengers and where conflict between rival minibus taxi companies occurs. A minibus taxi that bears the Red Dot logo can drive safely in the province, as a direct result of that partnership between government and the industry.
The speed at which the pandemic unfolded brought an added complexity to the project. Barely a month passed between South Africa recording its first case of COVID-19, and President Cyril Ramaphosa announcing a hard national lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the virus. Pegasys and its partners put a safe, workable system together quickly – saving lives in the process.
We are proud of this project. Not only are we assisting in getting critically important staff safely to and from the frontline, but also assisting people to get to quarantine and isolation facilities. The success of the Red Dot and Red Dot Lite service is testimony to what can be achieved when government and the private sector join hands.
Jacqui Gooch, Head: Department of Transport and Public Works
The Results
Red Dot is a joint initiative by the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works and the local taxi industry, facilitated by Pegasys. While the intervention solved an immediate need (transporting healthcare workers during the national lockdown), it was designed to be adapted and scaled to broader implementation, built on trust and a deep understanding of the industry.
Red Dot’s initial interventions have expanded to a Red Dot Lite service, which provides transport for Department of Health employees who need to travel for work between 7pm and 5am. Red Dot is also being used to transport discharged patients from hospital to create space for COVID-19 patients, and to transport people to and from vaccination sites.
While Red Dot was initially intended as a short-term response to the COVID-19 crisis, it has expanded throughout the pandemic. The sustainability and scalability of the solution was demonstrated by the launch of the Blue Dot taxi service, a partnership between the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works and the taxi industry to reward minibus taxi drivers for improved driving and service, while reducing illegal driving habits and conflict.
