The Reckless Driving of Combi Taxis

2010-11-09T08:50:00.000-08:00

We have all seen or been effected by the complete reckless disregard of the combi taxi drivers to the rules of the road and to the other users of the public roads in South Africa... They don't stop at red traffic lights; they swerve in front of other cars (placing these drivers in serious danger); they barrel down directly at pedestrians forcing them to jump and dodge out of the taxi's path; they stop to pick up passengers at either bus-stops or even in the middle of the roadway (endangering both their passengers and other drivers); they routinely overload their taxis with up to 20 or more passengers when their vehicles are only supposed to carry 15 passengers maximum; their taxi vehicles are unroadworthy according to the traffic laws of the country (some do not even have functioning brakes or steering-wheels and many have bald or badly worn tires)!

Everyday, these taxi operators recklessly endanger the lives of hundreds of South African citizens and, seemingly, are completely untouchable, as the traffic police and the other relevant police units fail to aprhend or prevent these taxi operators (SABC2's Interface programme called them "Weapons of Mass Destruction") from continuing to flagrantly break the traffic laws of this country and blatantly tout this fact in the faces of South African road-users.

Regularly, (especially over the last month), the television news is littered with the reports of scores of innocent passengers (including small children) being killed by these incorrigable road-menaces. It is so common that few people even pay attention to the report of another woman or child being run-over by taxis or even catapulted across the road into oncoming traffic by a speeding taxi with worn tires and brakes! Few are still wondering how many 8 year old schoolgirls are going to be beheaded before government takes action...

But we can make a difference! By photographing, recording licence numbers and reporting these taxi-operators to the Police and if that doesn't work then email them to simoncimril@yahoo.com and I will post their licence plate numbers on this blog with brief status of their criminal activities.

Additionally, No South African citizen should patronise or use any taxi that is known to be operated in a criminal manner (they are on a list of criminal or recklessly driven taxis)! The resultant isolation and ostracism of these taxi-operators will force them off of the roads and out of business...

Any traffic or police officer spotting one of these offending taxis will have to pull them off of the road and arrest the drivers or write out a traffic ticket (if one or more hasn't already been) or face being reported as corrupt! Any member of the public, vehicle driver or pedestrian, is also responsible to monitor the actions of the Police officers and report them to the media and or available Police commanders.

With a relatively small effort of every member of the public this ongoing travesty of modern entreprenuership can be reined in and properly regulated! It just takes just one united effort of all concerned for everyone to be safe again on South Africa's roads...

What Difference Can Any One Person Make?

2010-11-08T06:58:00.000-08:00

Anyone can make a difference to the society around them, it just takes a small bit of observation and self-analysis. There are many things that we encounter in life that we find disturbing or unacceptable and it really does depend on just how much you want to get involved and change the problem...

Creating a list of things that need changing is the first step and can easily get out of hand, as it rapidly grows exponentially in size. However, you also need to judge the problems on your list by your ability to deal with them: Can you change the situation?; Is the situation within the scope of your ability to deal with?; How much opposition and what type of oppostition will you encounter?; Are there any other resources that you can make use of to aid you in changing the situation?.

Beyond that you will find that the majority of problems can be changed with a little bit of preseverance and persistance, as it is surprising just how many situations in our daily lives can be changed positively, when attention isfocussed on it... Very few people or companies will continue to oppose you when they see that they are under public scrutiny! Bad publicity is actually really bad and costs a lot of time,effort or money to reverse... This is the same priciple, which the journalists use to expose problems and scandals in the press and that is the power of the average person on the street - The Watchdog keeping the greedy, corrupt and negligent from abusing the trust of the public at large!

What areas or categories are open to change? Any situation in a public or private place that is detrimental to the well-being or wellfare of the citizens or society around it... The main thing is that you have to stand up and take responsibility - You have to Speak out about Anything Wrong that You See Yourself!

Here are just a few situations that can be changed by being exposed or opposed publically:

Combi-Taxis Driving Recklessly          The Abuse of the Elderly or Handicapped
The Rude Behaviour of People            The Mistreatment of Workers
The Continuing Problem of Abusive Vagrants on the Street
The Poor Hygiene of Food Retailers & Their Products
Corrupt Civil Servants & Workers       The Dangers Faced by Children & Women
The Growing Level of Bureaucratic Incompetance
The Fraudulent Acitivities of Companies, Individuals & Public Officials
The State of Public Roads & Infrastructure

Be on the look out for other situations that you can change and get involved, because it is only when concerned individuals and groups take notice and speak out that a Difference can be made to our Beautiful Country! Don't just complain about the problems - Get Involved and Make the Correction Yourself!

Please Email me At simoncimril@yahoo.com with any comments and contributions. Especially, if you have the collected facts and the names of individuals that are actively making situations worse or behaving in a criminal manner...

Stand Up & Take Responsibility South Africa!

The Reckless Driving of Combi Taxis

What Difference Can Any One Person Make?