And we want tourists to come to South Africa???

Today I took Safair flight 391 from King Shaka airport to O R Tambo. If this experience was anything to go by, then the travel industry in this country is in deep trouble. Our ACSA’s handling of covid procedures are hazardous and leave a lot to be desired.

Even though the terminal is no worse than a shopping mall, they have taken steps to minimise passing traffic – with disastrous results. They have stopped people from meeting flights and picking up passengers next to the arrivals’ halls.

The only problem is that they have not informed the general public that this is happening. There are NO SIGNS ANYWHERE. NO INFO AS TO WHERE PEOPLE MEETING PASSENGERS SHOULD GO. NO DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PROCESS. AND WHEN YOU EVENTUALLY FIND OUT WHERE TO MEET YOUR LIFT, THERE IS UTTER DISREGARD OF COVID PRECAUTIONS TOOK OVER THE ENTIRE CROWDED AREA.

Perhaps I should mention that I have lost my balance because my vestibular system no longer functions. I can still walk, either with a stick or leaning on the trolley. But my eyes jump all over the place because of oscillopsia. I get confused when trying to orient myself. And before you ask, I prefer not to take a wheelchair. (At O.R.T you can get forgotten in a corner, but that is another story.)

My son was meeting me outside the baggage retrieval hall. NOT. He called to say was being prevented from entering the airport building from the car park even though he was fully masked and sanitised. A kind covid-observer just outside the arrivals’ door took time out to make sure that gogo found her way to the corridor to parking level 2.

I stopped where it was relatively safe to make a phone call before I reached a fence. I was immediately yelled at that I was an obstacle, and to get to the other side of the checking station. I was completely to one side and there were not a lot of people going past me.

Then I was directed to a side door leading off the corridor into the parking garage. Complete and utter chaos. All the hundreds of people who are usually spread out at the arrivals area were crowded around a temporary fence …. and covid precautions totally ignored. They were shouting, trying to attract taxi fares, and generally were a petri dish for the virus. ACSA decree this is the only area where people can be picked up in the whole building.

Apart from the lapse in customer care and communication, ACSA are promoting, rather than preventing the spread of covid. They have not communicated the basics of their answer to covid.

There is no way this temporary pick-up area with its cement floor and steel barriers can be sanitised --- and people are being forced to go through. What will overseas visitors think of such managerial incompetence?

PS we could not find a convenient place to check if we needed to pay for parking. Luckily my son had been in less than 20 minutes … but again where were the signs?