What percentage of road accidents, and especially deaths and serious injuries, are due to taxi accidents? If the City would concentrate its commendable road safety drive on this hot spot a noticeable reduction in the carnage on our roads would soon be evident. Or is the City scared of taxi protests and strikes, with the commensurate destruction of assets and facilities? I support the enforcement of traffic laws, and the paying of fines. But I urge the City to tackle the prickly pears first, rather than picking the low hanging ripe fruit.
I refer to an article and further correspondence recently in the Northern News (“Fury as council clamps down on fine dodgers,” March 10).
I have to support JP Smith regarding the collection of long outstanding fines. Too often we hear or read about record numbers and values of outstanding fines, and almost invariably the transgressors are minibus taxis.
If the goal of traffic laws and stringent application thereof is to promote road safety, and to reduce accidents and resulting deaths and maiming of passengers, I would suggest to Mr Smith law enforcement should be concentrated on known hot spots and repeat offenders.
It is no secret minibus taxis ignore traffic laws, stop in traffic to upload or download passengers, ignore robots, drive in yellow lines or even on sidewalks in order to overtake, are often overloaded, in poor roadworthy condition, driven by unskilled, often unlicensed people, or drivers with falsified licences, and the like. The taxis are a menace and totally a law unto themselves.
Mr Smith, do minibus taxis have seatbelts for each seat? Are these taxis regularly tested for roadworthiness, and if they do not make the test, are they summarily taken off the road and the owner and driver prosecuted. Are taxi drivers compelled to have PDPs and to regularly be re-tested?
What percentage of road accidents, and especially deaths and serious injuries, are due to taxi accidents? If the City would concentrate its commendable road safety drive on this hot spot a noticeable reduction in the carnage on our roads would soon be evident. Or is the City scared of taxi protests and strikes, with the commensurate destruction of assets and facilities?
I repeat, I support the enforcement of traffic laws, and the paying of fines. But I urge the City to tackle the prickly pears first, rather than picking the low hanging ripe fruit.
