Rea Vaya

Rea Vaya (BRT) is on, now it is up to the taxi industry to shrug off their Mafia style of management for some more substance. This time they will have to have the plan. The government gave them ample time to improve this industry which is second to non based on it’s important,but the Taxi bosses failed to notice this. When they were told to buy new taxis with seatbelts they snubbed the government. Later the government introduced the taxi recapitalization and again they fought tooth and nail to have it implemented in their own terms. Their terms were to shrug of the demand for bigger taxi the size of a Quantum, they chose to buy iNyathi in Mass even those who bought Quantum’s knowingly bought converted panel vans and made the mobile coffins. Only last week a taxi belonging to an association that allowed it to be on the road killed two people-injuring scores. This taxi was not roadworthy with shock absorbers, brakes and windscreen in a shocking state, yet the Taxi bosses allowed that taxi to ferry passengers.

In all these years the taxi industry snubbed the government, but failed to come up with an alternative a plan to improve this industry. When government finally chose to introduce the bus rapid transport they cry fouls. We are still being treated like in the apartheid days when people did not have a choice at all. One lady was telling me that she was humiliated at a taxi rank for refusing to take a Taxi that was visibly unroadworthy. Instead of convincing her otherwise they chased her away, told her there is no taxi that was going to take her even if she stays there the whole day. Judging by their attitude she new she was not going to win.As for other passenger they were packed like Sardines so frightened by these gun toting marshals that they couldn’t say a word to defend her.

BRT is going to make them think properly. You can run a big business as this like a spaza shop in squatter camp. These are the same guys that when they have a dispute the very same people that they are fighting for they kill them by shooting at full taxis with innocent passengers. How is that for arrogance? We can let this guys run our lives. The Taxi industry is going nowhere they simply have to improve their customer care and treat us as their clients not as beggars. This is a wake up call I hope they will see it that way instead of spilling some more blood they did in Cape Town terrorising Golden Arrows passengers. They never thought this day would come one man once said “lidoda duvha”