A 36-year-old Atlantis resident, who has been driving a minibus taxi for 14 years, has faced challenges in his job. He has worked for five taxi bosses and is currently the secretary of one local taxi association. He works daily to meet his boss's target of R4,000 a week, which is the amount his boss keeps. He takes home an average of R1,200 to R2,000 a week, and it is a struggle to support his family on this.
The taxi driver, who has two sons, says it is "exciting" to be a taxi driver but faces challenges from municipal traffic police. He gets fined weekly for offences such as overloading or stopping on a red line while waiting to pick up passengers. He pays these fines out of his pocket and often parks where people feel safe to board, often on red lines.
During the recent taxi strike, the taxi bosses of Atlantis wanted to "co-exist with the MyCiTi bus service." His association operates routes connecting central Cape Town, Table View, Melkbosstrand, Bellville, Darling, Vredenburg, and Malmesbury.
His employment is based on a verbal agreement and without a written contract. He complains that there are no benefits, retirement benefits, UIF (Unemployment Insurance Fund), fixed salary, or leave days. He calls for specific recognition from the government for the services they render, as they are significant.
Another Atlantis taxi driver also provides staff transport for factory workers and starts his day as early as 4 am and gets home at midnight. He complains that illegal operators, known as "anaphora," cut into their business and accuse municipal traffic officers of taking bribes. His boss has set his target at R600 daily, and he needs to reach it to get to bed nicely.
