The last two weeks have seen Ministry of Works and Transport grapple with the unsavoury behaviour that has become so much a pattern of how public transport operators do business in Botswana.
The ministry says it is worried by the unruly behaviour of the operators.
Those who use the services everyday welcome the ministry’s initiatives as a bit too late.
Given the extent to which they are spoilt it is no surprise that the operators have themselves responded by heightening their belligerence, going as far as to issue thinly veiled threats to pull their vehicles off the road unless the fares are increased.
We stand side by side with the ministry in its condemnation of the uncivilized behavior meted to other road users by the public transport hooligans.
We also urge government to seriously consider opening up the transport industry for more open and market determined competition.
The extreme behaviour of rent seeking as displayed by these operators is fed by the misplaced notion that they are indispensable.
This stems from the unnecessary protection they continue to get from government through a failure to liberalise the industry.
Failure to liberalise this industry means that commuters would continue to be convenient scapegoats, held hostage by hostile operators who run their businesses like mafia dons.
It is not a secret that some of the operators have become so powerful that they literally control the Department of Transport which is by and large manned by corrupt and venal officials who continue to receive kickbacks in return for issuance of new licenses but also opening up of new routes, not to mention turning a blind eye to the despicable conduct the operators mete out to commuters.
To start with it is not a secret that public transport business, though a multi million Pula industry pays very nominal tax to government if at all. It therefore is difficult to see why they should think government needs them more than is the other way round.
However one looks at it this is the only industry that refuses to behave like a real business when it comes to courteous treatment of client and customers.
Their conduct between and amongst themselves as well as to people who are supposed to be their clients is horrible to say the least. We know how difficult it has become for every business trying to keep its head above the water, but when it comes to public transport operators we insist that it is high time they accepted the simple fact that they contributed immensely to the misfortunes into which they find themselves.
That cannot be allowed to go on and on, especially in this era of tight competition where margins are forever squeezed by rising input costs.
In that tone we insist that Government should not give in to these shameful acts of unbridled manipulation, belligerence and blackmail by transport operators.
It is high time public transport operators are told to their face that they have to stop behaving like spoilt little children from wealthy families who throw tantrums every time things do not go their way.
The behaviour by public transport operators to always issue threats to government is a display of the most unsavoury aspects to which our public life is degenerating. That should not be allowed to go on.
There is no doubt that fuel and oil prices have gone up, literally rendering many businesses unprofitable.
But it is ludicrous for taxi operators as a business sector to behave as if of all the other sectors they are the only ones affected by rocketing prices.
How would it be like were civil servants to threaten government with a strike (unless salaries are raised) every time government increases fuel prices in response to what are fuel international price variables beyond the power of the Government?
We have no wish to make light of the devastating effects high fuel prices have on businesses especially the small ones as are indeed many of these public transport operations.
But then again the mawkish behaviour displayed by these operators to always want to hold a gun in one hand every time they want to engage government in negotiations is unacceptable. Suck behaviour simply does not inspire sympathy.
Before they start giving ultimatums, we call on these operators to put their house in order.
Every person who has ever used their public transport services has a story or two to tell not only about the unruly behaviour and bad driving but also about the filthy and terrible stench from conductors who go on for weeks without washing or brushing their mouths.
Failure by government to liberalise and open up the industry ha meant commuters simply do not have alternatives, a situation that has rendered them virtual hostages of the thugery of operators who continue to cause death, misery and emotional abuse as a result of their reckless driving.
