They've also come under fire for abusing women who wear mini-skirts, and even knocking over pedestrians in road rage incidents. Recently, a driver was sentenced to prison on murder charges, for killing 10 children in a minibus-train crash after he ignored a lowered safety boom at a railroad crossing.
According to The New Age, however, the contest for the title of South Africa's safest driver is attracting thousands of drivers, who are working to change their notoriously aggressive image, improve the taxis' reputation and avoid such deadly accidents. More than 5000 drivers are competing in the Number1 Taxi Driver Campaign, hoping to win one of four spanking new minibuses of their own in a contest meant to teach advanced driving, business skills and just simple manners.
During a session in Germiston, near Johannesburg, a driver in a bright orange T-shirt does manoeuvres between traffic cones while others wait in the shade. They take turns reversing and parking on an obstacle course while an instructor evaluates their skills. Then they take to the streets for a road test. "We are learning how to take care of our passengers. We are learning also how to save ourselves," said driver Molupe Leboto, 29. The New Age reports that taxi associations encourage their members to take part in the contest.
Read the full article on www.thenewage.co.za.
