Mhlaba Memela
Mhlaba Memela
Durban's Islamic community has urged the eThekwini municipality to control the flow of traffic in the city after a Kenyan man attending an Islamic gathering was run over and killed by a speeding taxi at the weekend.
Abdul Wahid, 32, was killed while crossing Smith Street. Witnesses said Wahid's body was hit so hard it was flung nearly 10m from the point of impact.
Emergency workers said an average of three pedestrians are killed by speeding taxis each week.
They say most accidents are caused by speeding taxis and drivers failing to obey basic road rules.
Derrick Banks, ER24 spokesman, said Wahid died at the scene. "He had a fractured arm and other serious injuries. The front part of the taxi was completely destroyed," he said.
Adam Macheso, an Islamic community leader, said: "The deceased was visiting our country for a religious conference. No one expected such a terrible thing to happen," he said.
Macheso called for better enforcement of traffic rules in the city.
"We need better policing, especially on West Street. This death could have been avoided if the taxi driver had stuck to the correct speed. Pedestrians can do little because certain taxi drivers are very rude," he said.