Taxis

[Albereth]

On 702 this morning there was a discussion about taxis and the trouble they cause for motorists and commuters.

Redi said that the previous government had tried to remove black people from economic activity by dumping them in townships.

Surely this can't be right.

I thought the whole point of townships was to have access to cheap labour and to keep the suburbs white at night.

Please clue me in.

 

[Piepalook]

On 702 this morning there was a discussion about taxis and the trouble they cause for motorists and commuters.

Redi said that the previous government had tried to remove black people from economic activity by dumping them in townships.

Surely this can't be right.

I thought the whole point of townships was to have access to cheap labour and to keep the suburbs white at night.

Please clue me in.

Redi is incorrect.

You are correct.

We needed their labour.We did not want them in our suburbs at night.

There used to be an alarm that went off at 21 h 00 and if a black person was caught ater the alarm went off, he needed a letter from his employer as to the reasons for being out otherwise he would be arrested and locked up.

 

[eltherza]

On 702 this morning there was a discussion about taxis and the trouble they cause for motorists and commuters.

Redi said that the previous government had tried to remove black people from economic activity by dumping them in townships.

Surely this can't be right.

I thought the whole point of townships was to have access to cheap labour and to keep the suburbs white at night.

Please clue me in.

Not that I know alot because I was still a kid back then but I was under the impression that there made to keep the black people living with white people ('upper class').

I think the denial of access to resources and opportunities to businesses is the way black people were removed from economic activity.

 

[Ecco]

Change the title of this thread. It appears we are not discussing taxis but rather why black people were put into the townships!

 

[Albereth]

Well - it was a discussion about Taxis on the radio.

Some chap had called in and said taxis provide "economic capacity". I like that phrase.

I don't think anyone ever tried to stop the taxi industry, and maybe that's its problem. It thinks that it is special.

So - as it is a Friday and we could all do with some solutions to life's great mysteries - How would you solve the taxi problem?

@Zanga - what are you saying/asking/rabbiting on about?

 

[Ecco]

Well - it was a discussion about Taxis on the radio.

Some chap had called in and said taxis provide "economic capacity". I like that phrase.

I don't think anyone ever tried to stop the taxi industry, and maybe that's its problem. It thinks that it is special.

So - as it is a Friday and we could all do with some solutions to life's great mysteries - How would you solve the taxi problem?

@Zanga - what are you saying/asking/rabbiting on about?

I didnt say there was a "taxi problem" - so nothing to solve.

 

[Moederloos]

I didnt say there was a "taxi problem" - so nothing to solve.

In your opinion.
Taxi's are legalised crime.
They have no respect for the road law, they are often involved in "wars", and they are a nuisance with their "blockades".

Should all be scrapped and burned.

 

[tcltk]

i think if there were a safe alternative *most* (everyone?) would use it - i dont think most people would get into a death trap just for the "fun" of it
maybe a way of solving it is to make available, affordable, safe taxi's - then the "death trap" ones would go out of business because no1 would use them?

 

[Ecco]

In your opinion.
Taxi's are legalised crime.
They have no respect for the road law, they are often involved in "wars", and they are a nuisance with their "blockades".

Should all be scrapped and burned.

Well Albereth wanted solutions, at least he got one so far.

 

[icyrus]

In your opinion.
Taxi's are legalised crime.
They have no respect for the road law, they are often involved in "wars", and they are a nuisance with their "blockades".

Should all be scrapped and burned.

Our taxi's, as they are currently, are not legalised crime, they are legalised human-rights violations.

The only solution to this problem is to scrap them entirely and start again with a new system that doesn't involve anything of the current system (drivers, owners, vehicles).

 

[Piepalook]

Our taxi's, as they are currently, are not legalised crime, they are legalised human-rights violations.

The only solution to this problem is to scrap them entirely and start again with a new system that doesn't involve anything of the current system (drivers, owners, vehicles).

Gautrain?

 

[Ecco]

Our taxi's, as they are currently, are not legalised crime, they are legalised human-rights violations.

The only solution to this problem is to scrap them entirely and start again with a new system that doesn't involve anything of the current system (drivers, owners, vehicles).

Scrapping them seems to be the flavour of the day.

Isnt that what the Taxi Recap program is all about?

 

[icyrus]

Scrapping them seems to be the flavour of the day.

Isnt that what the Taxi Recap program is all about?

No, that is using taxpayers money to give the same idiots new vehicles of destruction.

 

[Piepalook]

No, that is using taxpayers money to give the same idiots new vehicles of destruction.

We will need reasonably newer vehicles for 2010.

How are we going to transport those people?

 

[Ecco]

No, that is using taxpayers money to give the same idiots new vehicles of destruction.

Right.

So without using taxpayers money, who is and how do you plan to start again, without using any of the current "(drivers, owners, vehicles)" ?

 

[dlk001]

The first step towards solving the Taxi problem is a no nonsense Law Enforcement against Taxi industry.

Previously, as a passenger in a Taxi, I was always aware that I could not ask the driver to stop at any point. I was also aware that I could board the Taxi at any point. That has gone away completely because Taxi drivers are generally above the Law.

 

[Ecco]

The first step towards solving the Taxi problem is a no nonsense Law Enforcement against Taxi industry.

Previously, as a passenger in a Taxi, I was always aware that I could not ask the driver to stop at any point. I was also aware that I could not stop the Taxi at any point. That has gone away completely because Taxi drivers are generally above Traffic officers.

This comment makes a lot more sense then the previous rants.

 

[icyrus]

Right.

So without using taxpayers money, who is and how do you plan to start again, without using any of the current "(drivers, owners, vehicles)" ?

Look, the current drivers and owners have proven their flagrant disregard for the law and civil society. Hardly the ideal people to entrust something as important as public transport to.

The reality of the situation is that the taxi problem cannot be fixed before the general incompetence throughout the government is solved - and that is a practically insurmountable problem at this stage.

But lets assume for a second that the government actually functioned. Now solving the taxi problem is possible.

New vehicles with permanent license plates, GPS tracking and a completely electronic payment system that is monitored by SARS. Plus all vehicles will be required to have annual roadworthy checks.

All drivers must have a valid license (remember we're pretending government departments work) and go through a new driving test before they are certified as taxi drivers. This test must be repeated every 6 months.

On top of that all drivers will get a points system associated with their licenses and all taxis will have a big number of the back were you can call and report bad driving. Also, there should be a website where the public can submit videos and photos of bad driving.

Any offenses will result in points being added to the drivers license. Once a certain number of points is reached the drivers license is suspended for 3 months for the first offense, 12 months for the second offense and permanently for the third offense.

On top of that we need proper taxi loading and offloading points.

So if we pretend that all these government departments can magically start working, we can have a fix for the taxi problem.

 

[Piepalook]

Look, the current drivers and owners have proven their flagrant disregard for the law and civil society. Hardly the ideal people to entrust something as important as public transport to.

The reality of the situation is that the taxi problem cannot be fixed before the general incompetence throughout the government is solved - and that is a practically insurmountable problem at this stage.

But lets assume for a second that the government actually functioned. Now solving the taxi problem is possible.

New vehicles with permanent license plates, GPS tracking and a completely electronic payment system that is monitored by SARS. Plus all vehicles will be required to have annual roadworthy checks.

All drivers must have a valid license (remember we're pretending government departments work) and go through a new driving test before they are certified as taxi drivers. This test must be repeated every 6 months.

On top of that all drivers will get a points system associated with their licenses and all taxis will have a big number of the back were you can call and report bad driving. Also, there should be a website where the public can submit videos and photos of bad driving.

Any offenses will result in points being added to the drivers license. Once a certain number of points is reached the drivers license is suspended for 3 months for the first offense, 12 months for the second offense and permanently for the third offense.

On top of that we need proper taxi loading and offloading points.

So if we pretend that all these government departments can magically start working, we can have a fix for the taxi problem.

TIA

 

[Ecco]

Look, the current drivers and owners have proven their flagrant disregard for the law and civil society. Hardly the ideal people to entrust something as important as public transport to.

The reality of the situation is that the taxi problem cannot be fixed before the general incompetence throughout the government is solved - and that is a practically insurmountable problem at this stage.

But lets assume for a second that the government actually functioned. Now solving the taxi problem is possible.

New vehicles with permanent license plates, GPS tracking and a completely electronic payment system that is monitored by SARS. Plus all vehicles will be required to have annual roadworthy checks.

All drivers must have a valid license (remember we're pretending government departments work) and go through a new driving test before they are certified as taxi drivers. This test must be repeated every 6 months.

On top of that all drivers will get a points system associated with their licenses and all taxis will have a big number of the back were you can call and report bad driving. Also, there should be a website where the public can submit videos and photos of bad driving.

Any offenses will result in points being added to the drivers license. Once a certain number of points is reached the drivers license is suspended for 3 months for the first offense, 12 months for the second offense and permanently for the third offense.

On top of that we need proper taxi loading and offloading points.

So if we pretend that all these government departments can magically start working, we can have a fix for the taxi problem.

We not gonna pretend, and no amount of wishing is gonna solve anything.

So given the situation at hand (incompetant governments etc) - whats your solution? Do you still think the Taxi Racap programme is useless? I think its a good start.