Auckland taxi drivers are unhappy and a bit confused why their form of public transport is not deemed one in which passengers have to wear masks.
(File image). Photo: 123RF
Thursday's incoming mask mandate applies to everyone on buses, trains and planes, as well as taxi drivers, but not taxi passengers.
The government specifically exempted taxi passengers in its announcement.
"From 11.59pm on Wednesday 18 November, the use of face coverings will be mandatory for... the drivers of small passenger service vehicles in Auckland, such as taxis and app-based ride services, but not their passengers."
Auckland taxi driver Gurpreet Singh comes into close contact with passengers - within a metre for varying lengths of time - multiple times a day. He wears a mask, but worries about taking Covid home to his young daughter and mother-in-law.
He said gently encouraging some people to wear a mask did not always work.
"Some people, when we ask 'can you please wear a mask?' they say 'we don't have a mask, and we don't care about corona'. After that, we can't do anything," Singh said.
An Uber driver, who didn't want to give his name, said very few of his passengers wear a mask in his car. If he declines to take them, then he is out of a job.
"I think I got only one customer [all day wearing a mask]. Even if they're coming from a plane or anywhere.
"But at the end of the day, you have to work. You have to be on the road if you want money."
Another driver, Malik, said they feel at risk constantly and this did not help.
"It doesn't make sense. I think they should have everybody wearing a mask in a taxi or an Uber. We do feel [safer] if someone's wearing a mask."
He said it was not a big request to have people wear a mask for a couple minutes, and wished the government did not draw such a fine line for the incoming regulation.
Another driver said even though it would not be mandatory - he was kindly asking passengers to wear a mask.
"Everybody. If we want it for safety for the community it's supposed to be everywhere. It's not a big ask."
John Hart, the executive director of the Taxi Federation, said if there was a risk of Covid-19 being transmitted in a taxi, that existed on everyone, not only the driver.
"The taxi companies are doing their best to keep the vehicles clean, and in most cases they're introducing fairly rigid cleaning regimes, but it just seems it would be an awful lot more logical if the passengers were required to wear masks as well."
Regardless of the government's decision, Hart said he had a message for passengers.
"Please wear a mask. We're all in this together, we all need to keep safe, so please, please, when you get into a taxi, please wear a mask."