As of today, South Africa’s taxi industry faces a serious competitor in the Rea Vaya bus service. The ticket above is for R5 and is valid for 2hours regardless of how many trips you take on the service. It would be possible to travel from Soweto to town and then on to another destination for just R5. Compare this to the R7 fare on a one way trip to town on a taxi.
So what do the taxi’s do? Make their fares more competitive? Offer better service? No, they leave commuters stranded. Commuters who will now try out Rea Vaya and discover real savings, convenience and safety. Very clever.
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These taxi operators will buy triple re-treaded tyres and forgo servicing their vehicles in order to maximise profits; – and then be prepared to lose many days of cash turnover by not working.
WTF.
IF they were being paid by an employer, then it stands to reason that they can hurt their employer by going on strike by withholding their labour. BUT all they are doing here is hurting their own pockets. The only leverage they have is to place strain on other transport modes such as the new and old bus system and trains. Big deal.
UNLESS of course they bring about the compelling leverage of violence, in order to get their way. In this case they might as well get on with it and go to war against the ANC. Maybe they could join up with the disgruntled SANDF union members.
The public transport system in SA is getting the elevation it deserves. Most of the taxis, all over SA, are ‘death-traps’ on wheels made so by the drivers who handle them, or by lack of servicing (as Larry pointed out).
The bus services, on the other hand sounds too good to be sustainable; in the long run. It is as if they are setting-out to deliberately jeopardise the taxi industry after which they will replace them and subject us to the same treatment.
Diaan
August 31, 2009 at 11:15 amClever. Very clever. I fully support the taxi industry in this specific strategy.
*doh*