Zeelo SA's general manager Andrew Robarts says it is not yet clear whether public transport capacity restrictions will be enforced and managed in the correct manner.
The South African government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic has been a meticulous one, with strict regulations put in place early on to help reduce the rate at which the virus is spreading within the country. This effective approach, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, was applauded by many, including the World Health Organization (WHO) director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Now the government faces the difficult task of continuing to suppress the spread of the virus, while at the same time, trying to boost economic activity in South Africa. Businesses and individuals are eager to return to work, but the key is to ensure they do so in a safe and regulated manner, hence the introduction of a phased easing of lockdown restrictions.
The impact on shared transport
There is no question that on a global scale, one of the biggest potential hotspots for the transmission of Covid-19 is shared transport. In South Africa’s case, the majority of the workforce relies on some form of shared transport to get to work, which should be a major concern for all businesses operating during this time.
Public transport in South Africa consists of a mix of formal and informal shared transport options.
Although regulations, such as 70 percent vehicle capacity limits and PPE requirements, have been put in place, the question still remains as to whether these will be enforced and managed in the correct manner. Lack of control or mismanagement would pose a great risk to all using these services.
The true cost of protecting your employees
The primary objective for all businesses at this time should be to the health and wellbeing of all staff. Not only on a personal level, to protect the lives of all employees from the effects of the virus, but also to ensure the workforce of the business is not compromised. One infection within any business could lead to large numbers of employees being quarantined, or even that the business is forced to close down altogether for a certain period of time.
[chro-cta slug=hr-indaba-africa-2020-register-for-free]
Due to this, the investment in the protection of staff should be considered to be non-negotiable. Among other things, appropriately spaced working conditions to encourage social distancing, employee PPE, high levels of cleanliness and sanitisation, and access to safe and controlled transport, should be imperative for all businesses. Any neglect or cost-cutting in these areas could have a far greater long term impact and cost to the company, not to mention the risk imposed on the lives of its employees.
Be in control of employee wellness with Zeelo
HR Indaba partner Zeelo is helping businesses to manage these risks by providing safe and controlled transport services for their employees. Over the past few weeks, We have been working with companies such as Colgate-Palmolive, Makro, Yuppiechef and Life Healthcare to ensure the safe transportation of their staff to and from work.
The way in which these services are managed gives businesses peace of mind that all the necessary protective measures are in place, which, unfortunately, cannot always be guaranteed with other forms of shared transport in South Africa.
Zeelo offers private daily staff transfers for businesses of all sizes, providing a safe and sanitised services with a capped number of riders, driver PPE, sanitisation before and after each service, while also providing hand sanitiser for all passengers.
We also have data mapping technology for optimal routing, plus flexible timings to handle fixed and ad hoc journeys. We offer contact tracing through the use of the Zeelo website and apps and have a dedicated account manager to manage business needs and 24/7 customer support team to manage the journeys and passengers. Lastly, we use state of the art booking platform, including live vehicle tracking and passenger comms
