Minister urges taxi drivers to behave

TAXI drivers have been urged to respect traffic rules, other road users and their customers.The call was made by Works Minister Joel Kaapanda at the Namibia Bus and Taxi Association’s congress held at Otjiwarongo over the weekend.

Visibly disturbed by taxi drivers’ behaviour, Kaapanda said they did not respect traffic rules and other road users. He said statistics showed that many road accidents were caused by taxi drivers who ignored traffic rules.He said taxi drivers disrupted traffic by stopping anywhere to pick up passengers, and some were overloading their cars.”Undisciplined individuals will not be allowed to ruin this country,” said Kaapanda.”They do not understand the rules.They cannot just stop anywhere,” he added.Others, he said, were rude to local customers and tourists, forcing them to pay illegal taxi fares.This, Kaapanda said, created a bad image of Nabta and the country as a whole.The meeting erupted in laughter when the Minister related a personal encounter with a taxi driver.He had asked the young man why he was overloading his taxi, and the driver’s reply was: “It’s none of your business”.”I was nearly beaten up by somebody whom I thought I was advising,” Kaapanda said.He said statistics showed that many road accidents were caused by taxi drivers who ignored traffic rules.He said taxi drivers disrupted traffic by stopping anywhere to pick up passengers, and some were overloading their cars.”Undisciplined individuals will not be allowed to ruin this country,” said Kaapanda.”They do not understand the rules.They cannot just stop anywhere,” he added.Others, he said, were rude to local customers and tourists, forcing them to pay illegal taxi fares.This, Kaapanda said, created a bad image of Nabta and the country as a whole.The meeting erupted in laughter when the Minister related a personal encounter with a taxi driver.He had asked the young man why he was overloading his taxi, and the driver’s reply was: “It’s none of your business”.”I was nearly beaten up by somebody whom I thought I was advising,” Kaapanda said.