Angola: Taxi Associations Praise Government for Protection Against Gasoline Price Increase

Luanda — Angola's Taxi Drivers Associations on Thursday praised the Government for the protection measures in their benefit against the increase in the price of gasoline.

The price of gasoline rose today (Friday) from 160 to 300 kwanzas per litre except for public transports, cars and motorcycles registered for low income taxi service, whose fuel will be subsided by government trough payment cards.

The chairperson of the National Association of Taxi Drivers of Angola (ANATA), Francisco Paciente, expressed satisfaction with the approval of the proposal presented to the Government, after a long period of discussions.

Now, the challenge for ANATA is related to the operability of the fuel payment cards to be distributed by the government with a view to avoiding embarrassment among the taxi drivers.

"I am aware that the fuel payment cards will not all be delivered in a single day. It is a measure that will now be discussed with the Ministry of Transport', he said.

Francisco Paciente anticipates that operating the card will not be so easy, and in this case, members must identify themselves as taxi drivers through documentation that certifies the characteristics of the vehicle, in addition to the taxi license itself.

On the same occasion, the chairperson of the Association of Taxi Drivers of Angola (ATA), Rafael Inácio, guaranteed that they will continue to work for the normal operation of taxis and ensure that payment cards cover all taxi drivers.

On his turn, the chairperson of motorcycle taxi association (Amotrang), Bento Rafael, also praised the innovation of the payment card for fuel, hoping that the protection measure will cover all 120,000 members across the country.

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