Taxi drivers are revving motorists in the red.
They are out of control, they do not adhere to the rules of the road which results to anarchy on the roads. Motorists agree when this industry starts being held accountable for all the deaths on the road then the fatalities will come down.
A concerned motorist Mr Clive Hatch has noted down first hand experiences with taxis.
“On August 17 at 11:20 this morning as I was driving out of the lower entrance/exit of the Saveways Crescent centre into Mandela drive a taxi (registration DWF 424 MP) was travelling towards the Highveld Mall with its right hand flicker on. Instead of turning into the right hand lane the taxi stopped on the yellow lines, on the left hand side) in the centre of the exit to allow passengers to disembark. A second taxi whose number plate I could not see then stopped behind the first one to also allow passengers to disembark, this now blocked the entrance into Saveways.
“About twenty meters further forward is a legal layby for taxis, but I suppose that would be obeying the law! Taxi DWF MP then pulled out into the far right lane and did a U-turn at the Mandela/OR Tambo intersection. There is a clearly visible no U-turn road sign visible.
“At 11:27 when I arrived at the Mandela/Nita street intersection I was in the far right hand lane waiting to turn into Nita Street when taxi DZJ 629 MP drove straight through the intersection without even stopping.
This was followed by taxi HKP 962 MP that also drove straight through the intersection without stopping then immediately, once through the intersection, pulled in for passengers to disembark.”
There has not been a law enforcement officer in sight.
“It is my personal crusade to record all road infringements, when I am a passenger in a vehicle I will take a photograph of the infringement, and place them on social media,” Hatch said.
Mr Theo van Vuuren, Acting Municipal Manager asked how can 30 law enforcement traffic officials, working in three shifts be everywhere in a city with more than 150 000 cars and 15 000 taxis?
“In peak hours they are deployed to the most pressing intersections and if somebody transgresses, should they leave the points duty and chase the transgressor? It’s not to say that all are diligent and most officials also make mistakes, but really, an initiative such as by Mr Hatch where traffic can be assisted should be applauded and not used within the mentality parameters of finding fault with the municipality,” Van Vuuren said.
He also stressed that it is not only taxi’s that concern him, but also drivers speeding in especially suburbs.
On Friday afternoon there was an incident where a child fell out of a moving taxi. Luckily the boy was not seriously injured.
The boy’s mom did not want to speak to the media. This incident again highlighted the importance of keeping children strapped in a car seat when travelling.
Mr Solly Vilane, chairman of the local Taxi Association said it is important for taxi drivers to realize they have the lives of passengers in their hands.
“Taxi drivers should be responsible and take care when driving. There is no place for lawlessness in this industry,” he said.
Taxis are the most popular mode of transport in urban areas, with the industry consisting of approximately 150 000 public minibus taxis, earning an estimated turnover of R16.5 billion a year.
“The South African taxi industry plays an important role in the economy considering that the majority of South Africans are poor and dependent on public transport,” said road safety awareness group, Arrive Alive.
The industry comprises more than 20 000 taxi owners and 200 000 employees, and accounts for 90% of the entire taxi market, and 65% of public transport methods, the group said.
Alarmingly, however, of the 36 lives lost daily on the country’s roads on average, three are killed in taxi-related incidents.
In the past week, alone, there are several reports of taxi-related deaths and injuries around the country.
Seven people were killed and five injured when a minibus taxi overturned on the N4 near Nelspruit on August 20. The following day 15 people were hurt in a head-on collision between two minibus taxis in Parktown, Johannesburg.
