KZN taxi driver dumps boy, 5, on roadside for having no taxi fare

A five-year-old boy took a taxi from school on Monday and unfortunately, he told the driver that he did not have the fare.

The taxi driver then dropped him off on the side of the road. He was found by residents of Station Park in Canelands, crying on the side of the road.

Members of Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) were called and tried to assist the boy. Isiphile could not give them any information about where he lived or who his parents were.

A picture of him was taken and posted on the Rusa Facebook page.

A woman said she knew the boy and gave Rusa member Angel Phiri directions to Isphile’s home and he was reunited with his family.

On Facebook, assumptions were made that the parent’s negligence led to the boy’s traumatic ordeal. Rohita Madha said: “The child is unable to provide info regarding his address or school, so where was he gonna tell the driver to drop him off?”

Terri Bennett said: “The taxi driver is heartless and the parents totally irresponsible for his well-being.”

It turns out Isiphile was not supposed to take a taxi home and decided to follow his friends but he did not have any money to pay the taxi driver. In irritation the driver stopped his taxi and let the boy out in Canelands.

Many of the people commenting on the picture had conversations about the right age to teach a child his address and parent’s contact details.

Tips on teaching a child what to do if they get lost

Your full name

Make sure your child knows your full name. You can start teaching them, then test them every day until they know it off by heart.

Teach your child your cell number and their home address using a song

By age four or five, your child’s memorisation skills are good enough to learn your cellphone number. The best way to help kids memorise your cell number and address is through song. Choose a tune they like and create a song using their address and your cellphone number.

Practise calling you on an actual phone

Your child can memorise your number by learning the numbers on the keypad of a real phone. Once or twice a day, give them a phone and keep practising how to dial your number and call you, using the song as your basis.

Other strategies to put in place if your kids ever get lost

• Put stickers with your child’s address and your contact number inside their book covers.
• Get an identification bracelet with your details engraved on it if they travel alone.
• Place a sticker inside the bag with your child’s details (make sure their name is not outside the bag).