​Qaqambile Mdledle
Gauteng Transport and Roads Infrastructure MEC Jacob Mamabolo visited the Bosman taxi rank Station in Tshwane to monitor how the taxi industry is responding to the vaccination drive.
This is part of the province's drive to get more people vaccinated.
The MEC was joined by the Deputy Minister in the Presidency Thembi Siweya who used the event to encourage both minibus taxi operators and commuters to register and take their vaccination on mobile vaccination sites.
The province launched the taxi industry vaccination programme last week in
Tembisa. MEC Mamabolo hoped to have at least two pop-up sites per week at different taxi ranks in the province.  
"It is important that we target the taxi industry as the biggest mode of public transport. It carries 70% of the members of the public who commute daily.
"Secondly, because taxi ranks are areas of high transit, they have got drivers who are stationed here all day, as well as commuters," said MEC Mamabolo.
Many of the people that Mamabolo spoke to relied on misinformation when refusing the jab, citing unfounded fears of impotency.
Deputy Minister Siyeya assured that all vaccines are safe and do not contain ingredients that can produce an electromagnetic field at the site of your injection. 
"I am one of the people who vaccinated in July. I was vaccinated, and I am still around. Yes, I had a bit of a headache like many who were vaccinated," said Siweya. 
Government continues to crack down on misinformation to ensure the vaccine rollout builds momentum.
The province is also working with civil society partners to implement innovative solutions such as drive-throughs and mobile (pop-up) vaccination sites to ramp up the vaccination programme.
All Gauteng vaccination sites also accept walk-ins whether people are registered on the government's Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) or not.
All those eligible for vaccines should bring their IDs, driver's licences or police-signed affidavits to confirm their identity at the vaccination site.​