Hammanskraal taxis and A Re Yeng deal bad for children
"I am worried about my 8-year-old and 10-year-old children because who is going to make sure that they get out of the taxis safely, get onto the right bus, get off at the right station and walk a distance to school?"
Hammanskraal parents said a decision by the metro to stop taxis from travelling into the CBD would place their children at risk.
Last month it was announced that taxis from the Hammanskraal area will no longer drive into the CBD under a deal struck between the metro and taxi associations.
Taxis will now go only as far as the Wonderboom A Re Yeng bus station from where A Re Yeng buses will take commuters further into the CBD.
A mother of two from Hammanskraal, who asked to remain anonymous, said this deal didn’t take the needs of children into consideration.
“I am worried about my eight-year-old and 10-year-old children who are schooling in Capital Park. Who is going to make sure they get out of the taxis safely, get onto the right bus, get off at the right station and walk a distance to school?”
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She said her children were transported by a taxi from Hammanskraal and dropped off safely right at the school gate.
“The bus is not going to drop them off at the school. What if they get hit by cars skipping traffic lights or get lost?”
MMC for roads and transport Sheila Senkubunye said the metro would compensate taxi owners for the 10km distance they would forfeit by terminating at Wonderboom.
The MMC did not disclose how much the metro would pay taxi bosses, but according to parents, taxis will be paid R15 000 each per month.
“They don’t care about the well-being of our children because this deal would benefit them.”
The taxis from Hammanskraal are expected to terminate from Wonderboom from next year.
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