This is a warning to the people who don’t live in South Africa, but plan to travel here at some point or another. Please note, if you’re from a country where you can rely on public transport, this post is especially for you. You need to note that public transport in South Africa is not safe – and shouldn’t be attempted unless you’re really brave. Rather consider renting a car from Avis, or any of those agents…
In South Africa, yes there are buses . And yes, there are taxis. But you need to note that when you use either of these it might be the last thing you ever do.
These are not taxis in the typical Western sense of the term like you know them in the UK or the US. The industry is made up mostly of 16-seater commuter kombi buses which are more often than not unsafe or not roadworthy. Minibus taxi drivers are known for their disregard for the road rules and for dangerously overloading their vehicles with passengers of sometimes upto as many as 33 passengers. The taxi drivers have long since been notorious in South Africa. Most minibus taxis drive at high speed like the devil himself.
Quoting Thomas Thale:
“MINIBUS taxis are by far the cheapest and most popular form of public transport in South Africa, used mainly by the urban and rural poor. But if you are a visitor to Johannesburg, using a taxi can prove bewildering and even frightening.”Buses are all the same. In the past month I have seen two bus accidents on my route to work, and three taxi accidents in Pretoria. Just to give you an idea, I live about 7km from work. All these accidents were due to speeding & reckless driving (e.g. running a red traffic light). Obviously depending on which bus driver you land up with, but most of the ones I come across drive like they stole the bus.
Firstly they endanger the passengers – secondly normal road users are subject to share the road with these people and public anger against minibus taxi drivers is reaching boiling point.
Car accidents in South Africa are as common as snow in Russia. Everyone knows someone who’s been in an accident – if they weren’t in one themself. Its strange how we just put up with it really?? Its strange how people get arrested for not paying parking tickets, but bus drivers and taxi driver get to endanger thousands of people’s lives each day – without any penalization. I have never seen the Metro police give a ticket to a taxi or a bus driver. Maybe I’m just never in the right place. The Metro police don’t intervene because … I don’t know why?…
The thugs that cause the carnage on SA roads.
The 2010/2011 Festive Season took its toll yet again - over 1300 people died on our roads and multiple others were injured in car crashes across the country.
South African road safety statistics are far from comforting. One in two out of approximately 150 000 public minibus taxis is involved in an accident every year. According to the AA, it recorded an annual total of 70 000 minibus taxi crashes, indicating that taxis in the country amount for double the rate of crashes compared to all other passenger vehicles. According to media reports, at least 74 people were killed and 203 injured in minibus taxi accidents across the country in August and early September alone. So if you're really worried about staying alive out there, do NOT take a minibus taxi.
You're much more likely to die on the road especially when Arrive Alive and the rest of the nanny-state crew can't be bothered to make a big deal of it. Too little (if any) law and order has left the public transport sector in chaos which in turn has resulted in minibus taxi drivers having scant respect for their vehicles, the safety of their passengers and no respect for other vehicles sharing the roads with them.
What gives? Why does the Arrive Alive campaign make so much noise during the holidays, and go so silent for the rest of the year? As if the government's scare-programme and its apparently opportunistic traffic law enforcement over the holidays isn't enough we get advertising campaigns threatening rape in AIDS-infested prisons. Why does anyone think it acceptable to terrify people during the festive season with advertisements that suggest gang-rape in prison as an acceptable penalty for drink-driving? Yes, there is no excuse for drunk driving. The same goes for any other dangerous driving or unsafe vehicles.
Report bad minibus taxi drivers to the national traffic call centre on 0861 400 800 (which surprise, surprise, is "in the process of upgrading its system").
Death, violence and carnage - Seeing is believing ...
And the death, violence and carnage continues
4 killed, 44 hurt in horror N1 crash - Today 2011-01-03
Four people were killed and 44 others injured when a packed minibus taxi and a bakkie collided along the N1 freeway near Bela Bela on Monday afternoon, paramedics said.
Paramedics arrived on scene and found both vehicles mangled near the roadway, Netcare 911 spokesperson Jeff Wicks said.
Ten people sustained critical injuries, 20 others suffered serious injuries and 13 had from minor to moderate injuries.
All the injured people were taken to Meulmed Hospital and various other nearby health centres.
The cause of the accident was not known. ("stupid is as stupid does")
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