Johannesburg - A high level government delegation led by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube and her MECs got a taste of how millions of South Africans commute daily, using minibus taxis across Ulundi during KZN’s transport day.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube together with @KZNTransport MEC Sipho Hlomuka and @Santacokzn Chairman Mr Boy Zondi in a taxi from Danny Dalton to Ulundi to promote public transport. #OTM #RoadSafety #GrowingKZNTogether pic.twitter.com/jeK3oGkIYT
But, as they posed and smiled for cameras, they appeared to remember to pay for their rides in cash, but all of them appeared to miss the mark on safety, forgetting to wear their seatbelts, except the driver.
According to the government’s own stipulated safety requirements for minibus taxi operators in South Africa, it is compulsory for each seat in a minibus taxi to be fitted with a seatbelt in South Africa.
South Africa also has one of the worst road fatality statistics in the world, with about 12 000 people dying each year as a result of road crashes.
Data by the Automobile Association in 2017, also showed over 134 000 people died on the roads within a 10 year period.
In 2021, the Road Accident Fund also spent R26bn in compensation to claimants who had been involved in road crashes.
The taxi recapitalisation programme (TRP) exists to bring about safe, effective, reliable, affordable and accessible taxi operations by introducing new taxi vehicles (NTVs) designed to undertake public transport functions in the taxi industry.
Although wearing seatbelts in minibus taxis is arguably not a normalised practice by millions of South Africans who use the taxis daily, it is one of the compulsory safety requirements mentioned in the TRP for vehicle manufacturers.
A KZN government spokesperson was yet to respond on why the members of the KZN executive did not wear seatbelts in their photo opportunity in Ulundi.
Meanwhile, the government executives parked their German machines for the day and travelled in public transport on various routes in the Ulundi Local Municipality as part of the provincial transport day.
In pictures and videos shared on the KZN provincial government’s social media platforms, the officials are shown to be fully engaged and participating in the operations of public transport, from standing in lines to counting money in the taxi and even engaging at taxi ranks.
The premier’s spokesperson, Ndabezinhle Sibiya, said: “Today, all members of the executive council in the province are commuting in taxis in various parts of the Ulundi Local Municipality.
“KZN public transport day is also being used to promote the use of public transport in order to reduce traffic congestion on our roads, thereby lessening our country’s carbon footprint.”
The provincial transport day programme, which is aimed at promoting a safe, efficient and reliable public transport system, was led by Dube-Ncube and the participation of government officials allowed them the opportunity to relate to the daily challenges of public transport users.
“This also enabled the premier and MECs to interact with commuters to hear their challenges first hand, including customer care provided by public transport operators,” said Sibiya.
IOL