MEDIA RELEASE 4 October 2006 Joburg City Officials & JMPD Meet With Taxi Industry With the festive season fast approaching, officials from the City of Johannesburg and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) held a networking session in Sandton with representatives of several taxi associations to discuss traffic laws and transport related issues. Representing the JMPD, Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar stressed that over 90% of vehicle accidents are caused by human error due to traffic law violations. "Breaking the law is the first link in the chain that breaks and then leads to accidents," he told the taxi associations represented at the meeting, which is likely to be the first of several networking sessions between the authorities and the taxi industry. Minnaar said the four main traffic violations are drivers skipping lights, dangerous overtaking, turning from dangerous positions and speeding - the cause of the most damage, injuries and deaths. He reminded the taxi industry that the Minister of Transport has decreed a maximum speed of 100 kilometres an hour for taxis and other public transport vehicles. Minnaar went on to stress four other vital road safety factors – driver fitness, driver fatigue, driver and vehicle documentation and vehicle fitness. He reiterated that the blood alcohol limit for drivers is 0.05 grams, and for professional drivers, such as truck and taxi drivers, the limit decreases to 0.02 grams. Long distance drivers should break their journeys every two hours or 200 kilometres and that tyres, lights, steering mechanisms and breaking systems must all be in good working order. Representing the City of Johannesburg where he is deputy director of transport, Ronnie Molao, said the city wants to improve interaction with the taxi industry to share ideas and to raise issues of mutual concern. He said road safety comprises a mixture of engineering, education and enforcement and that all road users need to be encouraged to operate within the law and be aware that transgressions will lead to action being taken. Importantly, a representative from the department of community safety said that more self regulation needs to come from within the taxi industry. Reacting to the meeting, taxi industry representatives welcomed the interaction with police, transport and safety authorities, but put forward several issues of their own. These included problems with obtaining permits, pressure from their passengers, crime, peak hour congestion difficulties and competition for their passengers from Metro Bus and other bus companies. Other matters discussed at the meeting included the need for more training for taxi drivers, more stringent requirements for taxi drivers' licenses and the need for the taxi industry to be more fully consulted before laws affecting the industry are amended or introduced. Ends For further information please contact: Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) Cell: 082 559 3882 OR Slawek Justyniarski Meropa Communications Tel: (011) 772 1005 Cell: 082 432 9735 E-mail: slawekj@meropa.co.za