Abuse of right to choose

Kgang Moloko
Phokeng village
Rustenburg Local Municipality
North West province
29 September 2021

Decayingtaxibusiness

Taxi Industry in our village has taken a nose dive and we see the owners and drivers taking measures to protect their businesses.
The industry is now infringing on community’s right to choose,we have seen growing situations of taxi drivers and owners blocking and stopping privately owned cars with occupants and removing passengers and forcing or intimidating them into their taxis and talling people that they are the only ones who can transport people in the area.
On the morning of 29 September 2021 in the morning mine workers travelling from Phokeng to the mines who were using colleague’s cars were barred from going to their respective shafts or workplaces. One worker Mosimanegape resident of Phokeng says he uses a colleague’s car to travel to work as it is convenient as there are no taxis in the morning on time to his work place Impala 14 Shaft the taxis blocked the way to their shaft and forced workers to use their taxis to the shaft,he said they had no choice but to use the taxis,he said that mine workers were not happy as the taxis prefar to go shaft 6 as it is near than 14 which is further and others prefare using car as a unit instead of 4 people from 1 area using 4 cars to same workplace,he mentioned that if the situation persists workers are thinking of retaliation as their rights are infringed.
One taxi driver i spoke to said taxis are no longer making money and the owners demand their daily expected cash ins,so they need to protect the business and they will go to a measure of even stopping specially booked transport collecting people in the village saying it should wait in town and they will transport the passengers to town.

The problem stems from lack of innovation from not only Bafokeng Taxi Owners Association but the taxi industry as a whole,they increase fleet on the road,the lack of monitoring the demand verses taxis on the roads,which lead to more taxis than demand.
The increasing number of community members opting to use own transport or buying vehicles.
The industry should be based on demand for taxis not by the influx of taxis which are more than their demand.
The owners must create and come up with better innovative ideas that can entice passengers to remain using their taxis and ones with cars to park them for taxis.
The Competition commission must intervene before the situation get out of hand.
The rights of the community should be protected Government must play its role as the custodian of rights of it citizens.