Gauteng MEC for transport Ismail Vadi today unveiled a call centre for commuters to report bad taxi driving.
The call centre was launched by the department together with the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), as part of the Hlokomela Road Safety Campaign.
Hlokomela is a Sotho word meaning “be careful” or “take care” and the campaign was rolled out nationally in November.
“Hlokomela is an initiative by Santaco and the taxi industry aimed at reducing and eliminating unnecessary road accidents, as well as increasing the safety of passengers, pedestrians and the community at large,” says the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GDRT).
It adds that the main goals of the campaign are to reduce road accidents through checking and monitoring taxi vehicles at different check points; provide a support mechanism for drivers in case of challenges during their journey; work hand-in-hand with traffic officials to eliminate improper conduct from taxi drivers and operators; open lines of communication to receive feedback from the commuters regarding their travelling experience on taxis and the conduct of drivers especially; and establish a culture of compliance to road safety and traffic laws.
The campaign will also create a communication system between drivers and operators, so that good behaviour can be rewarded and negative behaviour can be discouraged by naming, shaming and instituting other punitive measures, says the council.
“Other elements will include vehicle inspection at taxi ranks, driver condition monitoring, registration of drivers and commuters, driver support, as well as engagement with traffic officials.”
Just call
One of the most important elements of the Hlokomela Road Safety Campaign, according to the GDRT, is the call centre that has been established by Santaco.
The call centre, themed “Call-To-Action”, will assist commuters and the public at large in making sure their appreciation and complaints regarding bad driving are reported.
“The call centre will allow Santaco to respond to general queries, provide information on campaigns, respond to emergencies and alert relevant departments, make calls to evaluate customer satisfaction, make contact with drivers to check their experiences, provide feedback to our provincial offices, and track responses and provide feedback to public,” says the department.
Santaco spokesperson Thabisho Molelekwa says complaints reported through the call centre will be passed on to the leadership in the particular region. They will then deal with the operators and drivers appropriately.
Depending on the nature of the complaint, a report back will be given to the complainant and Santaco will communicate with them further until the matter is resolved.
There are six agents at the new call centre and it can be reached on 0860 726 822.
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