EDITORIAL | Carletonville taxi association has paved a new path, but will others in industry follow suit?

The decision by the Carletonville United Taxi Association in Gauteng to start fining taxi drivers for a range of violations, such as bad hygiene, dirty taxis, abusive behaviour towards passengers and using unsafe taxis, is not only welcome but also years overdue.

Last week, the association announced that it would be issuing fines ranging from R500 to R3,000. This is a rare glimmer of accountability from an industry that has too often been protective of the worst among them.

Passengers have for many decades been subjected to abusive behaviour, being treated with contempt and poor service delivery at the hands of those who do not view their transportation as a service but a favour. Following mounting complaints from customers who were fed up, the association is taking measures to manage the problem. Though a small step, it is in the right direction and should be widespread.

The truth of the matter is, if the industry had long embraced self-policing, we would have avoided many incidents including one on April 17 in Tzaneen, where a taxi patrol agent intercepted a motorist, an act that led to a crash that killed one passenger and injured nine others.

The self-imposed patrol agents is a good example of how the industry has turned into a law unto itself, with no boundaries. It has morphed into armed, unregulated vigilantes who, instead of maintaining order, endanger the public.

They are also known for intimidating passengers who hail other forms of transport on the road other than taxis, but carry no consequences.

Kudos to the customers who were brave enough to speak out and seek change to not only protect their lives but also receive the best service they deserve. It is good that their voices were not ignored but have inspired change. However, if this new initiative is to be successful, it needs to go beyond just appearances and reaction, but be fully implemented.

We must see real change, and it needs to make sense to the commuter how this system will be implemented fairly; also, repeat offenders should be suspended or expelled

We must see real change, and it needs to make sense to the commuter how this system will be implemented fairly; also, repeat offenders should be suspended or expelled.

But how will this be done? Is it through follow-up complaints against drivers or on the roads? What code of conduct will be implemented for it not to interfere with the work of law enforcers on the road? Will the safety of whistle-blowers be ensured? And importantly, will others in the taxi industry follow suit?

The sooner taxi operators realise they do not operate in a vacuum, the better. Public fear and patience are a thing of the old, as without passengers the industry might as well not exist. But they have operated with arrogance for so long because they are aware that the government has failed to create a conducive public transport system that commuters can trust.

The fish is swimming, as it should. We applaud the association for acknowledging the obvious: service that is paid for should be delivered with dignity and with the safety of users in mind.