Regularly when travelling from Walmer Estate via the city and onto the kid’s school in Tamboerskloof the 7km 20 minute trip is filled with adventure. Accessing the N2/Nelson Mandela Boulevard is risky as many speeding drivers do their best to ensure that accessing vehicles are not permitted into traffic.
That taxis liberally and illegally drop-off commuter on the N2 along the road verge leading up to Walmer Estate is an activity concocting a likely disaster.
In the city, taxis drive insanely around the water fountain in Adderley Street as traffic struggles around the circle as the traffic signals desynchronise regularly. Traffic enforcers remain noticeably absent.
In the rest of the city, commuters meander cross roads wearing headgear and earphones as if pedestrian safety is an outlandish subject. When hooting to avoid a collision pedestrian attitude suggests they are unaware of road rules which is taught at primary school.
At most school, school leaders educate parents on which roads to use and how to drop-off kids. Each year when new kids attend school the process starts again, yet some parents are unable or reluctant to learn. They are unable to understand that by not moving to the kerb when dropping kid’s traffic is delayed. If 200 vehicles use half a minute obstructing traffic, 100 minutes are required. Some parents are unable to comprehend that their kids are not the only kids that must get to class and that delaying traffic reflects a lack of manners and intellect. When approached by other parents, hostility and abuse is the usual response.
In the words of the wise, speak gentle words and the cruel will attack you. Write common sense and fools will attack you. Express truth and the dishonest will attack. Express nothing, and no-one will respond but then nothing will ever change.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress