My thanks to Basil Nagel for his article (“Look beyond symptoms in taxi woes”, Cape Times, August 31) and to the editor for giving him the space to do so. I trust I will be granted similar space to do justice to what I believe to be a fair and intelligent reply to Mr Nagel.
I read your article three times to ensure that I understood exactly what you wrote so as to be able to respond thoughtfully to the essential points raised by you and not to waste words or editorial space.
In addition, I have spent a full day examining the websites, including yours, regarding the information and statistics provided by you, in particular Prof Booysen’s study.
My reaction to your reply is that, as a minibus taxi driver and owner with an apparent wealth of experience in that industry, you feel let down by all the relevant authorities because, according to you, they haven’t treated the minibus taxi industry with the respect, engagement and participation you consider it rightfully deserves.
I am pleased that you agree with, rather than deny, all my comments about minibus taxi drivers’ atrocious driving behaviour. In fact, Prof Booysen’s study reinforces it. (His comments relating to fatalities need to be read in context.)
I cannot comment on your views about access - you are inside the industry and you know which strings to pull in order to achieve your objectives, currently once again very topical with the reported planned minibus taxi blockades.
But perhaps that is precisely the problem with your industry: attitudes. In my view, the general attitude of minibus taxi drivers, as reflected in their appalling driving behaviour, is the wrong side of the willing-to-do-business-with-you coin: antagonistic and arrogant vs reasonable and amicable; confrontational vs co-operative; defiant, defensive, demanding and divisive vs mature and professional; obstructive vs open-minded; patronising vs participatory.
And many other negatives based, I believe, on an assumption that the minibus taxi industry is entitled to commercial privileges and benefits exclusive to that industry.
It is significant that you don’t mention attitudes once in your response to my letter.
Perhaps the most upsetting characteristic of the minibus taxi industry is their sense of self-importance and entitlement; their belief that, because their industry is so large, it can hold the country to ransom and attempt to achieve its demands by disrupting other road users - deliberately targeting peak periods and major through-routes rather than engaging more maturely and professionally with the relevant authorities.
Aggressive attempts to get their message across via intimidation of other road users doesn’t earn the industry respect; in fact it does quite the opposite - it just antagonises everyone else behind the wheel and is probably the worst form of “lobbying” for support.
The psychology of drivers is very particular: in my view, the primary cause of road rage as most drivers, particularly male, feel incensed at any hint that their driving behaviour is being questioned - no one sympathises with perceived ruffians.
Furthermore, digging into my memory, I can recall frequent efforts by minibus taxi drivers and/or owners to form broad taxi associations, only to end up fighting each other with “taxi wars” and bullets flying indiscriminately among the very consumers who provide their daily fares, or targeting specific people in some or other malevolent fashion.
The minibus taxi industry has never managed to get its act together, and maybe that’s why the participants remain fragmented into so many different associations.
Perhaps it’s time for thinking participants and activists like yourself to persuade like-minded leaders to consider how reversing current minibus taxi driver behaviour would do wonders for the industry by immediately impacting positively on the daily lives of your hundreds of thousands of commuters, and on other road users, accompanied by a massive and welcome reduction in injuries and fatalities.
It would certainly go far to swing public opinion in your favour. Any thinking citizen recognises the invaluable role played in our economy by the minibus taxi industry, but that view is skewed by the perception, fully justifiable, that all minibus taxi drivers are irresponsible law-breakers.
I’m not privy to the inner workings of the City of Cape Town and your past engagements with them, but I have been involved in civic matters for many years and carefully read their media releases to keep on top of what’s happening in our city.
I find the City’s views on public transport to be very explicit in acknowledging the vital role performed by the minibus taxi industry. Could it perhaps be that your negative attitude to the Comprehensive Integrated Transport Plan (CITP) is coloured by the excessive nature of your demands? Maybe you expect too much?
Public transport is not the sole domain of minibus taxis. They do not have a regulated monopoly on routes, even though they perhaps consider that they do because they have so many vehicles plying those routes.
It is the ugly “I own the road” attitude that brands every minibus taxi driver. Until that changes, they will never be considered team players in the broader public transport system, as envisaged in the CITP (which I also studied as part of improving my knowledge prior to this reply).
For your interest and information, six years ago I proposed to Alderman JP Smith that the City and/or province introduce a taxi academy, funded by taxpayers and those private enterprises who benefit from your industry; for example, tyre, insurance, fuel and other minibus-related companies.
The academy would validate minibus (and private) taxis as ready for the road once the drivers have passed psychometric tests, plus social and psychological attitudinal training.
I believe that this would revolutionise our minibus taxi driver behaviour and, once the rest of the country witnesses the benefits, this model would be replicated elsewhere.
This is the heart of the issue: attitudes - not access. And a willingness to partner with the City on its mandate to meet the requirements of all its citizens by being incorporated into a much broader transport strategy, instead of perhaps insisting on monopolising the industry.
If I’m wrong, I stand corrected.
The bottom line, however, is that there is absolutely no legal basis for violation of any traffic laws by minibus taxi drivers, nor for inconsiderate or rude driving behaviour.
Not getting the access you seek might lead to sulking and resentment, but minibus taxi drivers are adults and they should behave accordingly.
Lazarus is a retired marketing executive, with an interest in civic affairs