A time bomb in SA

When Brits hear the words "black taxi", most probably think of London's black cabs plying their trade. In South Africa, "black taxi" has an entirely different meaning.
'Black taxi' here usually means a minibus. These could seat 16 people legally, comfortably and safely - but mostly these vehicles pack between 20 and 25 inside. The black taxi trade started a number of years ago and took the place of trains and buses running from the residential townships into major cities and work areas. At the time, shootings and intimidation forced passengers to use taxis instead of other forms of transport and the violence was seen by many as instigated by taxi owners.

In theory, it's a great system. For a set price you get on and off wherever you want. The taxis go to many different areas and a complex series of hand signals exist to indicate where you, the potential passenger, wants to go; you simply stand at the side of the road and wait for a taxi to come along.

Unfortunately in practice taxis are a time bomb. They are notorious for stopping anywhere they want, sometimes with hazard warning lights on, other times not. But they stop, whether it be on the side of the freeway, in the middle of a main road or a side street, no matter what the risk. They are literally a law unto themselves. They rarely indicate or signal intent; they jump robots (traffic lights), go over solid white lines and get aggressive if you toot or hint that you are unhappy with their style of driving.

Most taxis are badly maintained that is, if they are maintained at all. The police occasionally impound unsafe taxis but sadly most of these find their way back on to the streets again. It is not uncommon for a taxi to have no brakes or shock-absorbers and sometimes the steering wheel is missing (yes, it's been known; a monkey wrench is used in its place). Bald tyres, usually retreads and unevenly matched, are the norm. There are reported cases of a taxi having four different types of tyre and wheels fitted. Vehicles are rarely serviced and sometimes held together with bits of string or wire; they are literally falling apart.

The taxi industry is run by various self-serving interests and unfortunately they appear always to be at loggerheads. The government recently announced a "recapitalisation plan" with an eye on the 2010 football World Cup; the idea is that every taxi owner will be given R50,000 (about £3,500) for his decrepit taxi which he may use to buy a new vehicle.

In theory it's a great idea, in practice it's a disaster waiting to happen: while having new vehicles sounds wonderful the way these taxis are driven means that within three months they are no longer roadworthy.

All the current problems will continue to exist. Old taxis are unlikely to be finally scrapped so they'll be back out on the roads in no time as deposits for another government handout! Even worse, the taxi associations are threatening to cause havoc on the roads (as if they don't anyway) because they want to be given R100,000 not the R50,000 on offer.

Why anybody should be given anything for nothing (or for a R5,000 heap of scrap) has not been explained to me by anyone, especially as only two per cent of taxi owners actually pay tax. Unfortunately the taxi owners' associations intimidate the government: death threats are common, both to ministers and the police, and so far the authorities have not stood up to them. It will be interesting to see if they do so over recapitalisation.

The majority of taxi drivers are employed by the vehicle's owner and earn commission. Therefore the more passengers and journeys each day, the more money made. In a country where half the driving licences are fraudulent, many taxi drivers are untrained in dealing with a heavily-laden passenger vehicle, especially one that's badly maintained.

The majority of the population has no choice but to use taxis to get to and from work as there is no other competitive transport. Every time they do so they put their lives at risk.

Many vehicles are not registered; each owner has to, by law, put his name and address on the taxi door. But in most cases the addresses are ridiculously false -"10 Downing Street, Jo'burg" and suchlike - so there is no comeback on the owner. Whenever you see a taxi with a sun awning or bike carrier attached it's a sure giveaway that the vehicle was originally stolen for its profitable potential.

The South African taxi industry could be a very efficient transport system, a world example in fact, if only common sense was applied. Drivers need to learn realistic driving skills so that they drive their passenger vehicle responsibly. Ensuring taxis are well maintained, regularly serviced and undergo strict, more regular checks will improve their shelf life and income. Road deaths would decrease dramatically. If these things were put into place, I for one would willingly use the taxis as they are a fantastic service and a handy "immediate" form of transport. The many under-filled cars on the roads, a necessity to avoid the suicide mission of using taxis, are not exactly helping the planet environmentally!

A downside of living in beautiful, sunny South Africa is having to always watch out for "black taxis" - driving here is certainly not for the faint hearted.

If you are planning to come for the 2010 World Cup then the best thing for you to do is book your hire car now, and start studying defensive driving techniques!