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Time To Take On The Taxis

Time To Take On The Taxis

THE utter contempt that our taxis now have for the general public has reached an intolerable level.

I doubt if ANYONE driving, cycling or walking the streets of Windhoek will be unable to list a long and familiar tirade against taxi drivers. Racing at break-neck speed along Hosea Kutako Drive or crawling along at 40 km/h along Nelson Mandela Avenue, they have no regard for fellow road users.Their only concern is the next customer and the next fare and everyone else be dammed (especially those waiting behind them while they load/unload people in the middle of the road).I could go on and on, but I won’t.It does, however, appear that the traffic police do not have the will or the capacity to control the situation.So what is to be done to prevent the rest of us from bursting a blood vessel in our brain every time we leave our house? The time has come for the Windhoek Municipality to designate taxi ranks and to halt all other touting for customers outside the designated areas.The fines for embarking or disembarking from a taxi outside these areas could be shared between the driver and the customer.In fact, a motivated traffic department could collect enough money to pay for the construction of taxi ranks in a very short time.Such a system would be of benefit to taxi drivers as well.They would no longer be exposed to the constant stress of searching for customers in a hostile environment.Furthermore, all taxis should have a number and there should be a complaints department for the public to contact in the event of a problem.A central register should record the owner of the taxi concerned.The owner of the taxi would then assume responsibility for the behaviour of his driver.The alternative is a slow descent into anarchy.Rod Rage Via e-mail Note: Real name and address provided – EdRacing at break-neck speed along Hosea Kutako Drive or crawling along at 40 km/h along Nelson Mandela Avenue, they have no regard for fellow road users.Their only concern is the next customer and the next fare and everyone else be dammed (especially those waiting behind them while they load/unload people in the middle of the road).I could go on and on, but I won’t.It does, however, appear that the traffic police do not have the will or the capacity to control the situation.So what is to be done to prevent the rest of us from bursting a blood vessel in our brain every time we leave our house? The time has come for the Windhoek Municipality to designate taxi ranks and to halt all other touting for customers outside the designated areas.The fines for embarking or disembarking from a taxi outside these areas could be shared between the driver and the customer.In fact, a motivated traffic department could collect enough money to pay for the construction of taxi ranks in a very short time.Such a system would be of benefit to taxi drivers as well.They would no longer be exposed to the constant stress of searching for customers in a hostile environment.Furthermore, all taxis should have a number and there should be a complaints department for the public to contact in the event of a problem.A central register should record the owner of the taxi concerned.The owner of the taxi would then assume responsibility for the behaviour of his driver.The alternative is a slow descent into anarchy.Rod Rage Via e-mail Note: Real name and address provided – Ed

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