THEY are exposed to violent taxi wars, abused by the public and sometimes become a target of criminals.
A typical day of a minibus taxi driver is a roller-coaster ride fraught with dangerous encounters and fears of not making it back home.
Zululand taxi driver Mehlo (30) shared some of the challenges and dangers which drivers face on the road every day.
‘Our day starts around 3am and we have to walk to fetch our taxis from owners. We are in the transport business, but we don’t own cars. ‘Some owners don’t allow us to take their taxis to our homes. We have to walk long distances to get to ranks and their houses and most of the times it’s dangerous.
‘We get mugged by whoonga addicts and other criminals wanting to make a quick buck. Owners don’t care how you get to work, but they want you on the road and making money by 4am. I have been mugged at gunpoint many times.’
Mehlo said sometimes he has to walk in heavy rain and stormy weather to get to work, where he is exposed to even more violence.
‘When there is a fight between associations, drivers get the heat. It’s us who get shot while owners enjoy the comfort of their own homes.
‘The taxi industry is very dangerous and when these conflicts arise between owners or associations, guns are pointed at us, even though we are not directly involved. ‘Some drivers have lost their lives in a process,’ he said.
According to Mehlo, dangers facing drivers are not just guns, but sometimes they are forced to work with unsafe and unroadworthy vehicles.
‘Just like any other job, when your boss tells you something, you have to do it. Some owners refuse to send their vehicles for necessary service and force us to use them to transport the public.’
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