The most noticeable outcome of the recent increase in petroleum fuel prices has been the increase in taxi fares across the country, which is no doubt causing so much problems, especially for civil servants and students. It is virtually the only thing everyone seems to be discussing these days.
While it is evident that taxi drivers are important stakeholders in the socio-economic development of this country, drivers must be seen to be reasonable enough in charging passengers, most of whom pay three times or more the normal fares to get to their final destination.
Countless commuters and business people have been stranded at various traffic points waiting for transportation that never seems to arrive or, if it does, the arrivals are few and far between.
For Government offices, the private sector and businesses, a significant drop in operations and productivity is to be expected as many employees, entrepreneurs and consumers experience long delays in reaching their offices and other places of work.
As a result, productivity declines as does income and revenue. This, therefore, negatively affects employees and students, who have to get to their respective work places or schools on time.
However, one needs to understand the fact that whereas some of the drivers may have chosen to increase the taxi fares, many of them were compelled by circumstances to do so considering that they are also family men working tirelessly to feed their families.
Indeed it is not their fault and one needs to understand this point.
We, therefore, would like to urge employers to be reasonable enough, and not to blame their staff for getting late to work, as some of them cannot afford to pay three times or so the normal taxi fares, considering the amount they receive as their salary.
“Try to arrange things so that you can have a reasonable bit of quiet every day.”
