SOMEONE is going to die soon because of Pinetown’s chaotic roads
And when this happens, and it will, the blame should be laid at the feet of the law enforcement departments of the city. There are three things making driving in Pinetown a hazardous undertaking. They are: no law enforcement, the road works, and the attitude of drivers, in particular taxi drivers.
I have never been a taxi basher but since the municipality rolled over and played dead in response to the taxi riots in Josiah Gumede (Old Main Road) a few months ago, anarchy rules on our roads. This can no longer be ignored.
All sectors of the driving public are guilty, but the worst are the taxis. Drivers break the law with impunity, knowing full well that at rush hour, morning and evening, there is not a cop in sight. Even if there were policemen on duty at these times, nothing would be done because the Metro Police are now toothless following the mayor’s instruction to them to back off. Taxi drivers have been given carte blanche to do as they please. And they do.
The road works are a frustrating inconvenience that tests the patience of everyone driving in Pinetown. It has become a nightmare made worse by inconsiderate, arrogant people. Yes, the bully boys of the taxi industry are right up there at the top of the list.
If the municipality thinks that the taxi associations will lie down without a fight over Go! Durban, the rapid transit buses, they are mistaken. And if the municipality thinks that it runs this city, in that too they are mistaken.The unannounced wildcat down tools which left thousands of people stranded a fortnight ago was an indication of the intent and the power wielded by this sector of our transport system.
But it is the anarchy and arrogance combined with the road works on major routes which makes driving in Pinetown perilous.
On Monday a young man waving a red flag to warn drivers of the obstructions and narrowing of the road ahead was hit by a taxi at the intersection of Broadway and Qashana Khuzwayo Road (Shepstone Road). His condition was so critical and the ensuing chaos impassable that he had to be airlifted to hospital. I do not wish to comment on what happened in this accident, but one thing is for sure, this was a long time coming.
Driving along Escom Road in the afternoons, taxis drive on the wrong side of the road, into oncoming traffic until they reach the traffic light, where they cut across lanes to be the first in the queue, ready to jump the robot. They push and shove their way into traffic queues and their aggression intimidates many into obeisance. If not, motorists are shown rude signs, sworn at and generally harassed and intimidated.
Driving to and from work or school is a frightening, stressful experience every day, but it is nothing in comparison to the fear that must be felt by thousands of taxi commuters who are at the mercy of these cowboy drivers. Day in and day out, commuters risk there lives on taxis of an industry that is out of control.
A request to the powers-that-be: Fix it. Now.
