Taxis at war
Faster, cheaper seven-seater sedans are snatching clients from small bus operators, causing a dangerous standoff between rival operators.
The Namibian Bus and Taxi Association (Nabta) and the Namibian Public Passenger Transport Association (NPPTA) yesterday staged a joint protest action when they encircled and blocked seven-seater taxis in Windhoek.
The unionised bus drivers were staging the protest since around 12:00 from the B1 service station opposite the Katutura State Hospital where the seven-seaters pick up their customers. The protest started at the Rehoboth taxi rank earlier in the morning and later moved on to another rank.
The unions claim that the 100 or so seven-seaters now on Namibian roads are operating illegally, without the required permits and are undercutting their prices, leaving the more than 500 legally operating buses without customers.
The seven-seaters made their entrance into the public transport market about five years ago with the growing importation of cheap second-hand vehicles from Japan.
Some of the seven-seaters are said to have shuttle permits, which allow them to transport passengers to and from Hosea Kutako International Airport only.
According to Nabta and NPPTA the public transport legislation stipulates that seven-seaters are only allowed to transport passengers within a radius of 70 kilometres. Local taxis are only allowed to transport passengers within a 25-kilometre radius.
However, the seven-seaters have taken on long-haul trips from Windhoek to Walvis Bay, Grootfontein, Tsumeb, Rundu and other northern towns, leaving the buses literally in the dust because they allegedly also do not stick to speed limits.
The seven-seaters are accused of causing at least two car accidents per month on the national roads because they do not adhere to speed limits.
“Every car that falls is a seven-seater. They are killing people and then the public transport sector gets the blame,” said the secretary-general of NPPTA, Nathan Africa.
The unions further say while buses are obliged to have trailers for passengers' luggage, passengers in seven-seaters often are forced to keep their luggage on their laps.
The faster seven-seaters are said to do up to 10 long-haul trips per week while buses these days only manage about two per week.
Bus drivers say while there used to be at least 49 buses leaving the Rhino Park taxi rank, only nine buses able to garner enough passengers to warrant long-haul trips left last month.
The bus drivers say their monthly salaries have shrunk to about N$7 000 while illegal operators of seven-seaters easily rake in at least N$18 000 per month.
“Those who have issued permits should resolve this mess,” said Edison Handura, the chairperson of the B1 loading rank.
“If the government allows illegal drivers, then they must let us all drive illegally on the roads. Alternatively, we all sell our buses and operate seven-seaters.”
The requirements are that public transporters must display a licence disc, an operator's licence disc, a permit disc as well as a roadworthiness disc. The seven-seaters allegedly have none of these.
Bus drivers therefore demand thorough inspections of all public transport vehicles at police checkpoints to stop illegal operators.
“If things continue as they are now we will burn all seven-seaters,” said an angry bus driver who preferred to remain anonymous.
At one stage of the protest action yesterday one seven-seater had indeed picked up some customers, who were hauled out of the car by the bus drivers and ushered to empty minibuses standing nearby.
“I do not know what is going on,” said a stunned passenger.
“We are not picking up passengers at Rhino Park. We are not stealing the road,” said a seven-seater owner, Mike Jacob. “We do not have a problem with the buses. It is the guys with the buses that have a problem with us.”
Jacob was adamant that some seven-seaters do have long-haul permits. This is disputed by the unions, who say that any long-haul permits issued to seven-seaters were done at variance with the law on public transport.
The standoff at the B1 loading zone was dissolved after the unions, service station owner Len Haasbroek and the police met and concluded that all the seven-seaters and buses should leave the premises.
Pendapala Nakathingo, the secretary-general of Nabta, said the unions would continue to negotiate with the Ministry of Works and Transport and Natis to ensure that order in the long-haul public transport sector was restored.
“We will not tolerate this lawlessness any longer,” said Nakathingo, adding that the unions would keep up the pressure on the seven-seaters.
CATHERINE SASMAN
The unionised bus drivers were staging the protest since around 12:00 from the B1 service station opposite the Katutura State Hospital where the seven-seaters pick up their customers. The protest started at the Rehoboth taxi rank earlier in the morning and later moved on to another rank.
The unions claim that the 100 or so seven-seaters now on Namibian roads are operating illegally, without the required permits and are undercutting their prices, leaving the more than 500 legally operating buses without customers.
The seven-seaters made their entrance into the public transport market about five years ago with the growing importation of cheap second-hand vehicles from Japan.
Some of the seven-seaters are said to have shuttle permits, which allow them to transport passengers to and from Hosea Kutako International Airport only.
According to Nabta and NPPTA the public transport legislation stipulates that seven-seaters are only allowed to transport passengers within a radius of 70 kilometres. Local taxis are only allowed to transport passengers within a 25-kilometre radius.
However, the seven-seaters have taken on long-haul trips from Windhoek to Walvis Bay, Grootfontein, Tsumeb, Rundu and other northern towns, leaving the buses literally in the dust because they allegedly also do not stick to speed limits.
The seven-seaters are accused of causing at least two car accidents per month on the national roads because they do not adhere to speed limits.
“Every car that falls is a seven-seater. They are killing people and then the public transport sector gets the blame,” said the secretary-general of NPPTA, Nathan Africa.
The unions further say while buses are obliged to have trailers for passengers' luggage, passengers in seven-seaters often are forced to keep their luggage on their laps.
The faster seven-seaters are said to do up to 10 long-haul trips per week while buses these days only manage about two per week.
Bus drivers say while there used to be at least 49 buses leaving the Rhino Park taxi rank, only nine buses able to garner enough passengers to warrant long-haul trips left last month.
The bus drivers say their monthly salaries have shrunk to about N$7 000 while illegal operators of seven-seaters easily rake in at least N$18 000 per month.
“Those who have issued permits should resolve this mess,” said Edison Handura, the chairperson of the B1 loading rank.
“If the government allows illegal drivers, then they must let us all drive illegally on the roads. Alternatively, we all sell our buses and operate seven-seaters.”
The requirements are that public transporters must display a licence disc, an operator's licence disc, a permit disc as well as a roadworthiness disc. The seven-seaters allegedly have none of these.
Bus drivers therefore demand thorough inspections of all public transport vehicles at police checkpoints to stop illegal operators.
“If things continue as they are now we will burn all seven-seaters,” said an angry bus driver who preferred to remain anonymous.
At one stage of the protest action yesterday one seven-seater had indeed picked up some customers, who were hauled out of the car by the bus drivers and ushered to empty minibuses standing nearby.
“I do not know what is going on,” said a stunned passenger.
“We are not picking up passengers at Rhino Park. We are not stealing the road,” said a seven-seater owner, Mike Jacob. “We do not have a problem with the buses. It is the guys with the buses that have a problem with us.”
Jacob was adamant that some seven-seaters do have long-haul permits. This is disputed by the unions, who say that any long-haul permits issued to seven-seaters were done at variance with the law on public transport.
The standoff at the B1 loading zone was dissolved after the unions, service station owner Len Haasbroek and the police met and concluded that all the seven-seaters and buses should leave the premises.
Pendapala Nakathingo, the secretary-general of Nabta, said the unions would continue to negotiate with the Ministry of Works and Transport and Natis to ensure that order in the long-haul public transport sector was restored.
“We will not tolerate this lawlessness any longer,” said Nakathingo, adding that the unions would keep up the pressure on the seven-seaters.
CATHERINE SASMAN
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