taxi drivers

[Nokkie]

On Friday the majority of the taxi drivers went on strike protesting
against the taxi capitalisation programme. It was estimated that about
42,000 taxi operators were going to take part in the strike, with
detrimental effects for all those that rely on taxi's to get around. It is
thought that about 6 million people use taxis on a daily basis.

But government and the taxi drivers will have to come to some sort of
amicable agreement regarding their vehicles. With the world cup coming in a
few years it is essential that there are safe modes of transport available
to the influx of football fans - and this includes taxis.

We have all seen the state of some of the taxis flying about our roads,
and some of the driving skills are to be questioned also. But surely the
taxi drivers should realise that they will benefit in the longer term too.
Surely by having a safe, road worthy taxi will be better for all involved,
and should reduce running costs for the drivers too.

SA needs to get their transport links on track, and that includes taxis.
They should be safe and reliable and should try and adhere to the rules of
the road. We have all seen the horrendous crashed that involve taxis, which
usually stems from bad driving and overloading of their vehicles. The
people who use this mode of transport deserve better. If you don't own a
car and need to use taxis you should be able to commute in a safe manner
and without 'risking your life'.

 

[icyrus]

The current taxis where once new themselves. Unless they are scrapping the current drivers along with their taxis, the new ones will look like the current ones within a year.