Packed like Sardines

The chief road traffic honchos in the Waterberg achieved more than what they bargained for, when the authorities embarked on an operation to educate the taxi industry about safety ahead of the festive season.

A joint operation of traffic officers and the SAPS manned a “roadblock” at the railway crossing entrance into the township on Thursday Friday 31 October, beaming with smiles and waiting for
minibus taxi drivers to be sensitised about road safety.

But alas, many of the taxi drivers apparently saw the full might of the law on their regular route, and by word of mouth or otherwise, seemingly warned each other about “trouble” at the railway
crossing.

The BEAT counted only a trickle of taxis passing through the site of the operation.

Waterberg deputy director of traffic law enforcement and road safety, Simon Kekana, said it was clear that many of the taxi operators chose not to show up, as a direct result of the visibility
of the men of the law.

“Let there be no doubt that many of these guys know their vehicles may not be roadworthy, and therefore feared the potential for traffic fines,” he said.

Kekana said the operation had nothing to do with the issuing of tickets, but was aimed at engaging the operators about road safety awareness ahead of the festive season.

But then while manning the operation, the authorities stopped and impounded a minibus taxi arriving all the way from Malawi, with upwards of 45 passengers packed in a 22-seater, like the
proverbial sardines.

— The BEAT