I was perplexed to watch the president of South African National Taxi Council Mr Phillip Taaibosch expressing condolences to the 24 young people who were buried in Limpopo after a horrible accident involving a taxi and a bus.
All South Africans are privy to the fact that taxi operators and drivers are the most reckless and negligent drivers and do so with impunity. Profits are their primary and only motive, the safety and lives of those they are ferrying is not only secondary, but a last consideration.
Law enforcement agencies allow it. For example, taxis travel from Winterveldt, Soshanguve, Mabopane and GaRankuwa to the Pretoria CBD drive at high speed on the emergency lane daily.
On the Soshanguve-Mabopane-Medunsa fourway stop, taxis don't follow traffic, but offramp towards Medunsa road and immediately turn towards Mabopane in front of incoming traffic and this has been happening for many years. Tshwane metro, provincial traffic officials and the police are well aware of this but take no action as many of them own taxis.
What I am highlighting is a symptom of a greater crisis our country faces. Taxi operators in Mzansi are a law unto themselves and do so with the blessings of law enforcement agencies.
Sam Boikanyo, Mabopane