The Arrive Alive website received the following email from a visitor. I believe this is worth sharing as it provides insight to the concerns of some taxi and bus passengers:
“I would like to write this, hoping that taxi drivers and pedestrians would read this. I am a taxi and bus user sometimes. Quite often I need to get off at my destination and due to traffic rules and regulations of stopping and no stopping areas; they still do what they want. Both are to be blamed for the fault.
The cause of accidents are either – Driver : thank you I will get of here. In the middle of the road, no stopping zone, pedestrian crossing. What does the driver do? He stops. I travelled from Goodwood, Cnr Vanguard and Voortrekker, I got into the taxi and on the way home to Bellville, taxi got loaded with 23 people. 4 People in front, including driver. The whole way home for me was 45min. Not one traffic official or vehicle was seen.
I called the traffic department at 18H45 one evening for cars that speed in our busy 12th avenue in Boston, Bellvile. I got told, they cannot assist me now as for they are busy shift changing. What is our country (people) becoming?
Then you get the odd driver in the Voortrekker Road- Bellville to Cape Town city centre that stops anywhere, why because we as pedestrians ARE NOT EDUCATED and NO DISCIPLINE. I reckon pedestrians should also be fined for walking over where they should not, stopping the taxi driver at any place where they believe it is safe. But, as soon as the taxi driver gets pulled off by a traffic officer, the passengers want to moan first they are late, driver is at fault, but hey. No rules. I have spoken to traffic officers and police who in the northern suburbs actually own taxis and do exactly what they do. BREAK THE RULES OF ROAD!!
Bus drivers are becoming more aggressive, due to the demand of the passengers and the taxis industry that is privately owned with a tax free income. Our taxes are paying for those new vans on the road. I suggest you get the SANDF in to help control the taxis and pedestrians. Give the police more authority over people. Start at schools. SAFTY FIRST!!!! Government must get involved in this.
We parents pay school fees that are ridiculously high, not even to talk about the uniforms. For that money we pay, get parents, teachers and schools involved in uplifting safety in the community. Start to ban taxis in certain areas. Busses are safer. Block areas, like in JHB. Suburbs are becoming security complexes.”
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