JOBURG SOUTH – Department of Transport and Faraday Taxi Association (FTA) had the taxi sector safety awareness campaign at Faraday Taxi Rank on October 29, Transport Month.
MMC for Transport in Gauteng, Christine Walters, addressed the taxi drivers and the owners about the interest of the government in the taxi industry. “The government want to support the taxi industry. That is why we ask all of you to be safe when doing your job. Drivers need to go to training. I will take my time and make sure this happens before I retire in 2016, also there’s anticipation that the government will subsidise the taxi industry,” explained MMC Walters.
She also urged the drivers to take care of their health as each and every taxi rank will have its own consulting room. Regarding poor health, MMC Walters mentioned the fatal incident of the Metrobus driver in North Street, Rewlatch on September 17. “Every driver needs to check their blood pressure and cholesterol. Drivers work awkward hours and they do not have time to go to the clinics or hospitals hence this new innovation of the consulting rooms in taxi tanks,” she noted.
Mbongiseni Masuku from Road Safety said, “The City of Johannesburg, through Department of Transport, is responsible for organizing the annual Transport Month activities. This arrangement is in line with the National Road Safety plans of the Department of Transport and the United Nations call for Decade of Action for Road Safety. During this period (October 2013) various transport related activities are being organized by governments, private entities, communities and NGO’s. Some of the activities include seminars on Complete Street and Street Alive concepts, Lecture on Vehicle Carbon Emissions, Public Transport Day, Solar Powered Traffic Light, Non-motorized Transport and many more.
“The Road Safety unit of the department is embarking on a Road Safety Awareness Campaign targeted at public transport, especially taxi drivers. The campaign is linked with the organisation’s key performance indicators to enhance road safety to taxi drivers.
“The demonstrations were done by a private company called MasterDrive who specialise in defensive driver training. One of the aims for the event was to expose and encourage the taxi drivers to improve their driving skills. About 200 drivers attended with at least 20 drivers participated in the event. Demonstrations highlighted good driving habits versus bad driving habits.”
FTA chairman, Mr BZ Mbatha thanked the government for taking note of the taxi industry. “We thought the government only took care of the buses, however we are now assured that we are also in its plans, that gives us hope,” he said.
Also, the chairperson of the taxi’s regional structure, Mr Ralph Jones, commended the government. “MMC Walters is here for us. She has shown interest in our business. As businessmen we need our business to grow. So all we ask are the permits for our taxis because they are being impounded. Again we need respect and discipline among ourselves. Let us make use of the consulting rooms in our taxi ranks because we know that some of our drivers are sick, HIV/Aids is rife here. Lastly we need to respect other road users as well,” he outlined.
Ward 124 Clr Sydney Radebe welcomed the campaign, also the JMPD pleaded with the taxi drivers to work together with them and they urged the owners to please renew their taxi’s discs.
