Should minibus taxis be allowed their own lanes?
Love them or hate them, taxis are here to stay, but should they drive with us or have their own lanes? Listen as a KZN taxi driver and KZN listeners share their opinions on the matter.
Listen as a KZN taxi driver shares his view on the matter in the podcast, then read more below:
Is our mindset towards taxi drivers all wrong? While many South Africans regard minibus taxis as lawless missiles, what if we treated them as if they were ambulances and gave them right of way in different situations. Just hear me out on this one.
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Considering minibus taxis are a vital part of our economy, providing cost-effective transport for millions of people who don't own cars, they also carry up to 24 passengers whose collective time should be seen as commanding a higher priority than that of individuals in their private vehicles. Not only this, but by our workforce using taxis rather than buying or using their own cars, doesn't this lead to less congestion on our roads?Honestly though, if our government was more on the ball, they could have made designated taxi lanes at peak times. On the other hand, I know that some taxi drivers are guilty of shocking driving habits, even if the association they belong to demands a quick passenger turnaround time.
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Haven't we all seen those taxis which are unroadworthy, pack in too many people, and swerve in front of us, race down the yellow line or jump the queue? The bad driving and those who disregard the law not only endanger their passengers' lives, but they put every other road user at risk too.
So over the past couple of days, I've tried it and I've been pleasantly surprised. If you see an oncoming taxi waiting to turn across your lane or push in, let them in and you will be so surprised at how often they return the favour.
I was recently speaking to a psychologist friend of mine and he summed it up perfectly by saying that most drivers hate taxis because they are such an accurate reflection of how us 'normal' drivers drive, so we project and deflect onto taxi drivers. The only time we get frustrated with taxis is when we're driving aggressively.
Personally, the only time I get frustrated with taxis is when I'm driving aggressively. To be honest, I've also had a ton of gripes with private motorists. They too also block intersections and drive in yellow lines. It's hard to maintain your cool while on the roads - especially with some silly drivers.
What do you think? Should they have their own lanes?