TimesLIVE reports that some 1,000 Western Cape taxi drivers are putting their money where their driving skills are and are opening themselves up to scrutiny from their passengers.

From Saturday, the drivers have embarked on a government-initiated project that would allow commuters to go online and rate them on their driving, whether they followed the rules of the road and whether they kept to the taxi capacity allowed. The project is known as the 'Blue Dot' taxi pilot and is aimed at improving the taxi industry in the province. “The project is an incentive scheme to reward improved minibus taxi driving behaviour and service quality, while reducing the risk of illegal operations and violent conflict,” the provincial Department of Transport (DoT) explained. Taxi drivers and operators who signed up for the project have had to have their vehicles and documents verified. They then underwent a training programme and had their vehicles fitted with trackers and the department’s branding to alert community members that they were taking part in the initiative. Commuters will be able to rate their drivers anonymously using their cellphones. Operators will then be monitored by the DoT and rewarded for good performance. The better the performance, the higher the reward. The DoT, which said it had the backing of the SA National Taxi Council’s provincial branch and the eight provincial taxi associations, is hoping to encourage even more drivers to sign up.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Naledi Shange at TimesLIVE

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