YOU have to laugh.
In the one corner, there’s the rag-tag taxi industry, one foot outside the law, the other operating old equipment at its limits. It’s dangerous, universally distrusted and yet … yet … it provides an incredible service. You can travel from your doorstep to anywhere in South Africa if you are prepared to pay the fees. It will get you to work in a hurry, perhaps too much of a hurry.
In the other corner is the state with vast planning resources, billions of rands in taxpayers money, no bitching profit-driven owners, ultra-modern buses, fares at half the price of the taxis and a huge marketing budget.
And the winner is … the grubby entrepreneurs with their clap-trap vehicles and their sjambok attitude to customer service.
The reason is simple. The entrepreneurs have to deliver an essential service that people want (transport from their place of living to their place of work) or they will go without bread. So they do. They are mobile, they take detours, they invent routes where necessary, they drive in the emergency lane to get there on time.
The state on the other hand plods its way from one Node to another on specially constructed roads that are totally inflexible in slow vehicles that do not fetch you at your door or deliver you to your final destination.
The market is ruthless in its efficiency, ain’t it?

Related posts:

1. Rea Vaya: Taxi’s adopt DUH strategy
2. Trevor Manuel’s statement on the National Planning Commission – full text
3. Taxi chaos? Blame the nanny state and greed
4. Cosatu to Blade – Give back the luxury car!
5. Trevor Manuel speech explains planning commission – full text