On 4 March, the Metro police, together with their counterparts, embarked on a road safety awareness campaign at the Halfway House taxi rank, next to Boulders Mall.
“On a regular basis during Easter, taxis are involved in accidents on the road, especially on long distance trips, due to driver fatigue,” said officer Ayanda Mbewu of Metro police, speaking on behalf of the law enforcement agencies that were present.
Mbewu said they saw this as an important opportunity to also promote the importance of keeping safe as a pedestrian on the road. “People should not walk on the road and focus only on their phone. We’ve also had reports of people who were knocked down by cars because they were not paying attention to what they were doing because of phones,” she said.
Mbewu added that they also brought pamphlets to raise awareness about domestic violence and the rights of elderly persons. “We also wanted the hawkers to be aware of the bylaws that they need to operate under such as not operating on pavements that are too narrow,” she said.
Lewis Novela, a pedestrian and a regular taxi commuter, said that he appreciated the law enforcement officers’ presence at the taxi rank. “Just last year, I got robbed of my phone,” said Novela. He said he felt that taxi ranks were being targeted by criminals. “A lot of robbery happens here, especially in the evenings.”
Novela added that he would be implementing the safety tips that he had learned from the police.
Details: Emergency Services 011 375 5911; Metro police 0860 562 874.
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