Taxis

catweasel said:
Scrapping them seems to be the flavour of the day.

Isnt that what the Taxi Recap program is all about?
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If Taxi Recap program focused on Regulating the industry, then it would work. At the moment, they are simply replacing a 15-20 seater death trap with a bigger capacity bus that would soon be a death trap once the driver goes back to the habit of using unroadworthy tires.

The biggest issue with Taxis is not the age of the vehicles, its the unroadworthy drivers and owners who do not take care and maintenance of these buses.
 
Taxi's was a solution for a problem created by the apartheid government. However, they are still a problem because the current government allow them to get away with murder. The only solution that will work, is to introduce proper public transport that are affordable. Build platforms where people can go to to find transport, instead of stopping all over the place. This also goes for buses. Taxi's should be limited to transporting people from home to the nearest public transport station (bus, train, whatever), and no further. Taxi's should also be hold to strict roadworthy tests, this includes testing of the driver.
 
catweasel said:
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.
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With an incompetent government there is no solution, just further descent.

As others have mentioned, without further controls on the industry the taxi recap program is nothing more than a colossal waste of money.

But like you said, there is no point in pretending that the government is magically going to become competent overnight. So there are only three options open to South Africans:

- accept the current state of affairs
- change the government
- leave
 
dlk001 said:
If Taxi Recap program focused on Regulating the industry, then it would work. At the moment, they are simply replacing a 15-20 seater death trap with a bigger capacity bus that would soon be a death trap once the driver goes back to the habit of using unroadworthy tires.

The biggest issue with Taxis is not the age of the vehicles, its the unroadworthy drivers and owners who do not take care and maintenance of these buses.
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The taxi recap program is good in the short run, people will have a safer taxi to travel in.

For the long run, I agree with you, regulation will need to be introduced.
 
icyrus said:
- accept the current state of affairs
- change the government
- leave
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To the majority of the population, option 1 is the preferred and probably only option.
 
catweasel said:
Well Albereth wanted solutions, at least he got one so far.
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Hey thanks:)

BTW Please don't always think that I am writing purely to you if I quote something you've written. If I want to communicate only with you I'll use the PM.

And why solutions? - well we have lots of people who would be very happy to say that it is marvellous that we have a taxi industry, it shows initiative. And we'll have lots who'll say that taxi drivers should be shot out of hand. While I accept that shooting taxi drivers is a solution in a sense, it won't sort out the resulting transportation problem for the commuters.

But maybe tough action is needed.

Publically run mass transportation systems are needed. But taxis block the roads and go 'bos' if you add more busses. Being nice hasn't seemed to have worked. So you take the lovely bit of legislation that lurks in the dark corners of our justice system and anytime a taxi driver commits an offence you confiscate his vehicle as it was used in the crime. No impounding - you crush it and sell it for scrap metal.

And then the taxi drivers will retaliate. Again - more crushed taxis. And, let's not kid ourselves, some people will get badly hurt. But they are gettin ghurt right now with no end in sight. I suggest some short sharp pain and then we fix it.
 
Another one:

Taxis are compelled to have transponders fitted. No transponder, you can't get into a taxi rank. Spot checks etc.

You then have detectors placed in the roads. Taxi goes on wrong route (other than for going to and from home) fine the association. Taxi drives in emergency lane - fine the association. Drives too fast - fine the association. Found with no transponder, or tampered transponder - fine the association and crush the taxi.

Don't belong to an association - no permit. No permit - crush the taxi.
 
Albereth said:
Hey thanks:)

BTW Please don't always think that I am writing purely to you if I quote something you've written. If I want to communicate only with you I'll use the PM.
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Thanks for the tip!
 
icyrus said:
There is a saying that "people get the government they deserve".
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True. I reckon the majority are happy with the one they got right now. Much better then that old one.
 
catweasel said:
True. I reckon the majority are happy with the one they got right now. Much better then that old one.
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It all depends on wheather you were previously disadvantaged or not.

Ten years from now we will have another population group that was previously disavantaged.

This will never stop.

The racial divide only gets bigger.
 
The whole transponder can be fitted to all vehicles. Same idea - drive over white lines, cruise through red traffic light before 10 at night, speeding, etc.

Also if cars are stolen - you can track where they are driving.

Doesn't replace Trackers, Netstar etc.

Also if car has outstanding warrants assoiciated - it can't pass through toll booths (Okay that might cause congestion)
 
catweasel said:
True. I reckon the majority are happy with the one they got right now. Much better then that old one.
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Which old one? The Madiba one, the first Mbeki term one, the second Mbeki term one? Or the Nat ones?

Doesn't matter which one you choose - it is still the one that people deserved, as the saying goes.
 
catweasel said:
Thanks for the tip!
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No problem.

Are you saying that you are happy with the taxi situation?

Or is the concern merely that taxis are unsafe and new ones will solve the problems.

I am not sure this is true. Sure safety is the primary concern for the everyday commuter. But the roadworthiness of a taxi is dependent on the economics of the industry. The return from transporting a person have to be greater than the cost of providing that transport.

Taxi needs as much time on the road running as many passengers in that time. So they will speed and overtake to spend less time per trip. Fixing a taxi takes it off the road as too, does servicing it. New becomes old very quickly.

Then you still have the fights over routes. New or old taxis don't matter as none of them are bullet proof.
 
this morning on louis botha avenue they had a huge police road block, and they were only stopping taxis :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
i even slowed down to tell one of the officers that one particular taxi was driving like an animal.
I came to work with a smile
 
Does the Gautrain address the taxis?

How many taxis barrel up and down the Ben Schoeman?

I think pooh is coming regarding the Gautrain and who is going to provide the road part of the integrated transport system.

But, while I think it is a white elephant, I am sure that I will take at least one rise on it.
 
10 March 2008

A joint operation between the Johannesburg Metro police, transport department and SAPS, following last week’s taxi violence, impounded 30 taxis.

About 10 taxis were badly damaged and a bakkie and one taxi burnt when violence flared between two rival taxi associations on Thursday.

The Alexandra-Randburg- Midrand-Sandton Taxi Association and the Alexandra Taxi Association were fighting over the Kyalami-Johannesburg route.

Two drivers were arrested and another one was shot and wounded in the arm.

On Friday, the taxis were impounded in a roadblock on Corlett Drive.

“The taxis that we impounded were on an inappropriate taxi route.

“Some did not have valid transport permits or were obstructing the flow of traffic,” JMPD spokesman Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar, said.

“We are not going to give back the taxis easily. There is too much fighting. As long as the violence continues and until order is restored on the roads, we are not going to release the taxis.”

http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=723448
 
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