African News Agency Photojournalist, Tracey Adams, recently used three various methods of public transport to travel from Retreat to Cape Town. Adams documented the trials and tribulations that many Cape Town commuters experience in her “Three ways to travel from Retreat to Cape Town, using public transport” video documentary series.
A train ride from Steenberg to Cape Town, and a subsequent taxi ride during peak hour left me feeling despondent about our public transport options.
My taxi ride from Retreat to Cape Town was uncomfortable on various levels.
Hitting my head on the roof of the taxi as I boarded, more or less dictated the overall experience. The ride was bumpy, my knees were pushed up against the back of the seat in front of me and manoeuvring in and out of the taxi was not easy.
There seemed to be a haphazard understanding of where and when one could board or disembark from the vehicle.
The taxi industry has been plagued by disputes over taxi routes, bad driving, unroadworthy vehicles and violence in the Western Cape
Recent news reports revealed that on the 1st of April, a taxi related shooting at Hout Bay taxi rank near Imizamo Yethu left four people dead and two wounded.
Taxi blitzes launched on May 22 this year saw 55 suspects arrested for various offences, 182 vehicles impounded and 4698 fines issues over a period of one month.
In a more recent incident in Blackheath, a local taxi association leader and another man were shot dead there within minutes of each other in the early hours of June 11.