Thirty five years old Lazarus Lenkoe, a taxi driver in the provincial capital of the North West renamed Mafikeng recently became the pride of Ngaka Modiri Molema district and a role model in the taxi industry after being announced winner of the prestigious 2009 North West Brandhouse Road Traffic Management Corporation Number One Taxi Driver competition.
The Prize awarding function was held at Heuwelzicht Conference Centre in Rustenburg on Tuesday afternoon.
“It is like a dream come true. I never thought I would get this far”, said Lenkoe, a father of two and a taxi driver for the past nine years with a single employer after receiving the R5 000 prize for the first position, adding that he always strives to render the best customer service to commuters and to be a good driver whenever he ferries commuters to their various destination.
The second cash prize of R2 500 was won by Joshua Olehile also from Ngaka Modiri Molema district while the third prize of R1 000 was won by Baile Sebocho from Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district.
Lenkoe’s employer, taxi owner Joy Marumo who also won an Arrive Alive safety kit worth R2 500 described Lenkoe as a perfect and reliable driver and an ideal employee. Marumo’s taxi association, Nowetra also won a cash prize equalling R2 500.
In his address to taxi industry role players and stakeholders who attended the auspicious event, MEC for Public Safety, Howard Yawa stressed that there is no place in our transformed public transport systems for bullies and speedsters who do not value the lives of commuters and behave as if they are doing them a big favour for which they should pay.
“In case some have forgotten, let us as we go back to our taxi ranks and in meetings of our associations and councils remind them that commuters should be treated with respect and dignity.” MEC Yawa urged.
He said that the partnership for the taxi driver road safety campaign will serve a meaningful purpose by reducing fatalities and crashes which were mostly caused by lack of driver skill, negligence, faulty brakes and unsafe overtaking.
In expressing optimism for the impact of the campaign, Yawa said that he hoped that in line with the objective of the campaign, commuters who use taxis services on a daily basis would experience firsthand responsible driving and great customer care from individual drivers as well as taxi owners.
He said that although government is concerned about safety of the public transport system, road safety is the responsibility of everyone. He expressed appreciation of the involvement of the private sector in the taxi driver road safety campaign which is in its fifth year.
“The intervention to educate taxi drivers will abolish cynicism of those who used to saying taxi drivers are the same. Taxi drivers should start to paint a new picture in the eyes of the general public. As taxi drivers, we have a responsibility to avoid accidents by observing safe following distances and driving within the permissible speed limits in order to avoid accidents.
“As taxi owners we also have an added responsibility to ensure that our vehicles are regularly serviced and maintained for us to remain competitive and an industry that offers safe and reliable public transport,” the MEC highlighted.
Lenkoe is now in the right stead to proceed to next phase where his driving ability, theory and customer care will be tested in a three day driving programme carried by Toyota Advanced Driving Academy at the Gerotek facility near Hartbeespoort Dam in the North West province. After completion of the training Lenkoe will compete with other taxi drivers from other provinces for a Toyota ses’fikile minibus sponsored by Toyota South Africa in November this year.
In last year’s national competition held in Polokwane, North West’s Godfrey Mosala also from Ngaka Modiri Molema District scooped a 14 seater Toyota ‘ses’fikile’ worth R220 000 and an additional safety kit for his father, a retired taxi owner.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Tel: 018 381 9171
Cell: 083 629 1987
Fax: 018 381 9164
E-mail: LKgwele@nwpg.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Public Safety, North West Provincial Government
16 September 2009
