Luanshya Police Officer Command Hudson Namachila has advised pirate taxi drivers to operate within the law of face the consequences.
Reacting to request by Pirate taxi operators in the district to his office to convince government to allow them operate their vehicles in various colours, Mr Namachila urged them to follow the government’s rule
Mr. Namachila said the aggrieved pirates should not appeal to him on the matter saying government was the right institution to appeal to. He said his duty was only to ensure there was law and order in the district.
He warned pirate taxi drivers to abide by the law, adding those who will not abide will have themselves to blame.
However, a check by ZANIS on the streets revealed the registered taxis have been out-numbered by the pirates.
Meanwhile some pirate taxi drivers talked to said they will not have their cars painted blue because passengers today shun blue painted vehicles.
One driver told ZANIS on conditions of anonymity that he will never have his car painted in the official blue because he will lose customers.
He said much as he desires to abide by the law, he will not, as long as such law is not beneficial to him.
However, one of the registered taxi drivers, Godwin Lungu, observed it has become difficult for people from other countries to identify which cars are legal for transport and which ones are not due to piracy.
He said if all taxis were legal, passengers would have no option but to go for any taxi.
He has called on the police to intensify patrols to ensure all pirate taxis are wiped out of the streets.
ZANIS/MM/Ends/MM
The law has to be respected yes.
Good evening 3Rqu!!
This is funny!! I really do not know if it is just the mentality that makes these Pirate Taxi drivers wanting to negotiate even when matters are clear.
Maybe they should just come together and form a Car Hire Company. In that case they will not have to paint their Cars blue.
Jamaco I am sorry but if these people initially agreed Taxis have to be blue then why change now?
J someone tell these people London Taxis are painted black! And, yeah the last time I crossed the pond, taxis were painted yellow.
Iwe Jamaco na 3RqU mule poshanya fye mweka! OK naine namipata (joke). This issue of taxi drivers seems to be a minor one to me, I’m sure both sides will find a compromise.
People blue ni colour ya ba mmd
Imwe ba chikubabe,
All they are trying to do is bring uniformity, so that they can collect taxis for the country. Even new york has yellow taxis and that does not mean, it any party’s color. I once had a pirate taxi in kitwe and my driver was always trying to run away from the police.
Ba LT please fill us in on the 24 or so Zambians who are locked up after who trying to pull offf a nigerian-style scam in TEXAS!!!
Don’t mess with Texas! bali munjema. actually immigration detention awaiting deportation.
Good decision by the Police Office Commander. But,the law is useless if it can’t be enforced. The police must step in implement the law or else the good law abiding tax drivers in blue will keep loosing customers to pirates who don’t even pay tax
The law is very fine . let them paint the cars. No mercy on this…police keep it up. Arrest those desobeying the law.
The colour was not agreed on to say that it was supposed to be blue anyhow it was the government who decided the colour to be blue and at that time it was minister of Transport and communication Prof.Nkandu Luo. I remember when she annouced that on T.V but the other guy has a point here and that what people said last time that its the colour for MMD.All the same if the people are to paint blue it should be a specific blue not the blue i had been seeing.All sorts of blue there are a few blues i saw which looked nice.And Taxis should be road worthy.Not wires.
Ba Trigo,
Those Taxis are not wires, they are moving coffins.
All you guys above are missing the Pirates side of the story and I find it very surprising. These guys have a reason and I Quote for you
drivers talked to said they will not have their cars painted blue because passengers today shun blue painted vehicles.
One driver told ZANIS on conditions of anonymity that he will never have his car painted in the official blue because he will lose customers.
He said much as he desires to abide by the law, he will not, as long as such law is not beneficial to him.
So is a business decision. Who Knows Maybe people in Luanshya after so much suffering under the MMD, they just don’t want to see anything BLUE. They have had enough…
It`s the mentality of Zambians I`m afraid. Bling bling! But I know of a certain country which has black taxis and their cousins across the pond yellow ones. Needless to say but we have seen ministers, celebrities and the likes use them. Yes you still get different colours but, should the colour of a taxi stop one from using it?
Nine Chale good morning man. Uli bwa?
If all taxi vihecles were painted blue the customers will have no option but take the blue one, so there will be no loss of customers as some pirate taxi drivers are saying. The law enforcers should just be firm in enforcing this one.
Traffic police in Zed will be starring on the road as they will not have more piraters to pay the illegal tips [-x
Pirate taxi owners do not pay tax. This is one of so many ways govt. can can raise money. Let them register and opertae within the the law.
With Job losses currently going on. Pirate Taxis will surely increase, people are desparate and will do desparate things.