Taxi users in Buffalo City Metro (BCM) are calling for stricter regulations in the taxi industry to ensure their safety.
This comes after a spate of criminal activities, including murder, rape, kidnap and robbery, allegedly committed by people who apparently posed as taxi drivers.
Passengers want registered taxis to be branded with the yellow reflective “Taxi” sign, and to display the name and contact details of the taxi owner as well.
Commuters interviewed said being able to identify legitimate taxis would make them feel safer.
Last week a Duncan Village woman and her two-year-old child landed up in Johannesburg after thinking they were taking a taxi to Beacon Bay.
In May last year an East London mother who was going to work in Amalinda was kidnapped and murdered after she took a small taxi at East London’s Buffalo Street.
A few months earlier two women, aged 20 and 23, were kidnapped and raped by two men pretending to be small taxi – or amaphela – operators.
The women were picked up in separate locations – one in Buffalo Flats and the other in Buffalo Street.
The two men were arrested and a year later, one was sentenced to a life in prison for rape and a further 40 years for kidnapping and robbery.
The other’s sentence was a 17-year jail term for kidnapping and robbery.
Lindelwa Qina from Mdantsane, whose only transport is a taxi, believes if taxis were branded none of the above would have happened.
“We just jump into a car not knowing whether it is real taxi or not and we just hope and pray we get to our destination,” said Qina.
Leonine Winnaar from Buffalo Flats also said branded taxis would make her feel safer.
Welile Blayi, public relations officer for the Mdantsane, East London and District Taxi Association (Melta), said commuters’ requests would be considered.
Blayi said that although all small taxis seen at ranks were registered and fell under recognised taxi associations, the big problem was with small independent taxis who picked up passengers wherever they could find them.
He accused this unregulated sector of being behind the lawlessness afflicting the small taxi sector.
“Anyone owning a small car can wake up and decided to pick up people and there is no law to prohibit this. This compromises the safety of passengers,” he said.
He said taxi associations, owners and Buffalo City Metro recently joined forces to educate users on their safety. “We also do frequent patrolling to get rid of the unregistered taxis. However, when we take action against their drivers we are told we are violating their rights,” said Blayi.
Blayi said commuters also had a responsibility to select a safe ride.
“The best option to ensure the users safety is to take a taxi at the rank and not alongside the road. Taxis operating at ranks are registered and in bigger ranks there are marshals available who know exactly which taxi left and what time and to where,” he said. — arethal@dispatch.co.za
Users want safer taxi journeys
This comes after a spate of criminal activities, including murder, rape, kidnap and robbery, allegedly committed by people who apparently posed as taxi drivers.
Passengers want registered taxis to be branded with the yellow reflective “Taxi” sign, and to display the name and contact details of the taxi owner as well.
Commuters interviewed said being able to identify legitimate taxis would make them feel safer.
Last week a Duncan Village woman and her two-year-old child landed up in Johannesburg after thinking they were taking a taxi to Beacon Bay.
In May last year an East London mother who was going to work in Amalinda was kidnapped and murdered after she took a small taxi at East London’s Buffalo Street.
A few months earlier two women, aged 20 and 23, were kidnapped and raped by two men pretending to be small taxi – or amaphela – operators.
The women were picked up in separate locations – one in Buffalo Flats and the other in Buffalo Street.
The two men were arrested and a year later, one was sentenced to a life in prison for rape and a further 40 years for kidnapping and robbery.
The other’s sentence was a 17-year jail term for kidnapping and robbery.
Lindelwa Qina from Mdantsane, whose only transport is a taxi, believes if taxis were branded none of the above would have happened.
“We just jump into a car not knowing whether it is real taxi or not and we just hope and pray we get to our destination,” said Qina.
Leonine Winnaar from Buffalo Flats also said branded taxis would make her feel safer.
Welile Blayi, public relations officer for the Mdantsane, East London and District Taxi Association (Melta), said commuters’ requests would be considered.
Blayi said that although all small taxis seen at ranks were registered and fell under recognised taxi associations, the big problem was with small independent taxis who picked up passengers wherever they could find them.
He accused this unregulated sector of being behind the lawlessness afflicting the small taxi sector.
“Anyone owning a small car can wake up and decided to pick up people and there is no law to prohibit this. This compromises the safety of passengers,” he said.
He said taxi associations, owners and Buffalo City Metro recently joined forces to educate users on their safety. “We also do frequent patrolling to get rid of the unregistered taxis. However, when we take action against their drivers we are told we are violating their rights,” said Blayi.
Blayi said commuters also had a responsibility to select a safe ride.
“The best option to ensure the users safety is to take a taxi at the rank and not alongside the road. Taxis operating at ranks are registered and in bigger ranks there are marshals available who know exactly which taxi left and what time and to where,” he said. — arethal@dispatch.co.za
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