Imagine my shock while cruising to work early in the morning that a taxi should come hurtling at me from the oncoming lane and would smash into the driver’s side of my car.
It’s one thing for me to have been driving recklessly and speeding, but to have been below the speed limit and following all the road rules and then still having another driver collide with me is mind boggling and scary.
The taxi’s axle allegedly broke and the driver couldn’t steer the taxi, so that’s why he crashed into my car.
This doesn’t make me feel any better. Yet I actually feel sorry for the taxi driver who himself is a victim. He’s a victim of taxi bosses who put drivers and passengers lives in danger by making taxi drivers drive unroadworthy vehicles.
Since the accident I’ve been very conscious of the crazy things taxi drivers do and I realise they are acting on unrealistic quotas made by taxi bosses.
Furthermore, I blame Metro police and police who witness taxi drivers doing ridiculous things and don’t seem to do anything.
Metro police should be regularly conducting operations to check the roadworthiness of all vehicles, not just taxis. By police not engaging with taxi associations and taxi bosses, whether its to reprimand or work together, they are putting all motorists using Joburg and South Africa’s roads in grave danger.
Do you agree with the views expressed in this letter? Comment below, and let us know.
