Politicians’ role in taxi feuds endangers public

THE TAXI industry plays a critical role in the South African economy. As the government struggles to provide reliable public transport like other countries do, the taxi industry has filled that void diligently. It ferries learners to school, students to tertiary institutions, and employees to their workplaces. This is commendable.

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However, while this industry is the country’s lifeline when it comes to transportation of the people, it is gradually becoming a liability to the country and a threat to people's lives. The question is: what is the political leadership doing about that? If little or nothing is being done, what are the reasons?

Firstly, it should be noted that the increased number of taxis in the country has resulted in two developments. On the one hand, this increase means that there are enough taxis to transport people to their different destinations. This is a good thing.

On the other hand, the increased number of taxis has set taxi owners and drivers into a state of frenzy where they fight over passengers. They are concerned that they might not be able to collect enough money to pay their monthly premiums. In the process, some become violent and engage in unlawful activities, which are sometimes condoned by politicians. The public is on the receiving end.

In terms of the existing protocol, taxis have no jurisdiction beyond 500m from the taxi rank. This means that ideally, they should not pick up passengers beyond this distance because they would have filled the taxi at the taxi rank.