Traffic issues

seen in cape town..

Originally uploaded by el camino del exito.

We all know the consequences for drunk driving, yes? Well, they are extreme, as they very well should be. They are also very well justified when taking into mind the lives that are put in danger, not only the drunken driver but also the people around him/her. Now our government has in the past few years taken a serious stance against this offence and I fully understand the reasoning behind it. I do think that If the government wants to take up this attitude, they should equip our roads with public transport that is safe and reliable, unlike the picture above, which is a South African taxi. We have millions of them. Not all of them look like this, but it’s not an unusual occurence here. We do have taxi’s that are safe and reliable, but they come at a cost… extreme cost, they vary from R10 – R15 per km! Now if you are earning the average per hourly wage (min wage = R12.50) then using a taxi for 1km costs you a hours work. If you work a whole day, you can drive a wopping 8km in one of these taxis. If you aren’t earning good money, this is what you got (picture). I am not saying this is an excuse for drunken driving, but it sure plays a large role in the reason for it. The consequences set by government are not the only factors that play a role in the prevention of the offence. We need safe, reliable and affordable public transport!