Encouraging mutual respect between passengers and drivers
Over the Easter week, Ratile Research, a company based in Boksburg, launched the Delight Your Passenger campaign.
The company joined several other transport sector and road safety stakeholders to remind road users, particularly minibus taxi and bus drivers, to adhere to road safety rules, behaviour and conduct that will ensure safety of passengers.
The company’s MD Nonhlanhla Sebola, says the initiative is aimed at encouraging and influencing public transport service providers and commuter vehicle drivers in particular, to treat passengers respectfully as valuable customers whilst promoting safety principles and behaviour.
“The campaign contributes to social discourse in various ways, particularly in raising awareness about customer and passenger service quality, issues of Ubuntu and mutual respectful interactions during the transportation of the commuters.
“Of importance, the campaign together with the industry stakeholders will become the voice of the passengers during peak- and off-peak season countrywide, contributing to reducing the number of fatalities in our road networks,” explains Sebola.
Sebola says the Ratile Research team, adorned in T-shirts, has been spreading the core messages relating to safety and mutual respect between passengers and drivers.
“The team distributed key holders in and around Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni taxi ranks, as well as key roadside points (N3 Total Petroport). The key holder messages serve as a reminder of road safety behaviour and conduct,” she says.
Sebola says the initiative has received positive feedback from commuters and stakeholders and they are now working on writing a book as well as organising awards to highlight positivity within the public transport sector.
“Ratile Research is compiling a book titled Delight Your Passenger that will highlight the daily commuter experiences and key issues around improvement of the commuter services levels.
“We will also facilitate an award ceremony within the public transport sector aiming to magnify the positive contributions made by the public commuter transport service providers over the past decades,” she further explains.
She adds that the ceremony will celebrate and recognise the transport service providers who provide service to millions of commuters on a daily basis nationwide, linking business services and goods with the market and fostering economic-growth locally and internationally.
