The Heidelberg and District Taxi Association has opened nominations for its annual Drivers’ Excellence Awards.

According to the chairperson of the association, Tshepo Molaba, the awards aim to motivate taxi drivers to take pride in their work and promote professionalism in the local taxi industry.

“We started this initiative in 2023 to encourage drivers to improve and help formalise the industry. Our goal is to bring back dignity and respect to the taxi sector. Too often, drivers are criticised or only recognised when something goes wrong, but we want to change that narrative by celebrating those who do their jobs with pride, discipline and passion,” he said.

Molaba emphasised the importance of celebrating people while they are still alive.

“I believe in celebrating people and giving them their flowers while they are still alive. This is our way of showing appreciation and recognition for the important role drivers play in our communities. Taxi drivers are not just transporters; they are breadwinners, protectors and community builders.

“They ensure people get to work, school and appointments safely every day. We also want to use this platform to promote safe driving habits, good customer service and unity among operators. By highlighting excellence, we hope others will be inspired to raise their standards and serve the community with integrity.”

Molaba added that a WhatsApp platform was created to allow the public to nominate drivers they feel deserve recognition.

“Nominations opened earlier this month and close on November 20. The award ceremony is on December 4. Nominations are open to minibus taxi drivers and local drivers operating in the township,” he said.

Last year’s recipient, Justice Mzinyane, who won the award for 2023 and 2024, thanked the community for its continued support.

“I thank everyone who believed in me. I think the community chose me because I am humble, patient and always respectful to my passengers. There are many challenges in this job, but as a driver, you must listen and persevere because the customer is always right. I encourage my fellow drivers to take their jobs seriously, avoid alcohol and drugs while driving and always respect the rules of the road so that we all arrive alive,” he said.