The most popular form of transport in Gauteng is the minibus taxi, probably because they are cost effective, service more of the city, depart more frequently and are more reliable than buses.
Yet many of them are a law unto themselves in the way they treat their own passengers, other road users and the rules of the road.
The Johannesburg City Council’s website quotes passengers who complain that ‘Some of the taxis are rickety affairs held together only by their owners’ prayers and the Grace of God’.
Commuters also complain that taxi drivers are aggressive and rude to them, often forcing them into cramped and overloaded taxis. According to the website, taxi drivers take chances with their customers’ lives by driving dangerously close to each other as one driver asks for change from another.
On the road, they stop wherever they want, drive in the emergency lane, cut in front of the turning lane and generally make traffic unbearable for other road users. Not even pedestrians are safe on the pavements.
The public feels that taxi drivers should not be allowed to behave like this as they perform a service for the benefit of commuters and should conduct their affairs accordingly. In any competitive industry, consumers are able to choose where they shop and what they buy, but this is not the case with the taxi industry, which has the monopoly.
As it happens, taxis are actually subject to bylaws regulating how they interact with the public, which is available on https://www.joburg.org.za/bylaws/taxi_by-laws.pdf. Some of these are quite amusing, for example, the driver of a minibus may not use a hooter to attract potential passengers, and the driver must always be clean and neatly dressed, the penalty for either could be six months in jail.
You can complain to the taxi associations directly if you want to try and get something done. You supply them with a statement and the registration number of the vehicle and they will then investigate and possibly discipline the driver. The associations have disciplinary committees who deal with these matters.
You should contact the South African National Taxi Council on 012 321 1043 to get the number of the taxi association for the area concerned. We can start to hold taxi drivers accountable if we are proactive about it instead of just complaining.
What has your experience been with taxi drivers?
