Dear Editor,

If we are to be honest with ourselves and observe what is really happening, there is no doubt that taxi drivers who continuously disobey the law by attempting to skip traffic and, at times, drive on the opposite side of the road into oncoming traffic are attempting to murder their passengers and the drivers who are in their way.

We seem to have accepted this behaviour as the norm and go about our business without recognising the potential catastrophe that lies ahead. And those who are charged with enforcing the rules of the road don’t seem to care that much. Why? It seems that the consequences don’t seem that relevant until someone dies.

One could argue that attempted murder means that there was an intention to cause harm. One could also say that unlawful taxi drivers’ just intend to skip traffic. I argue that they, like any other driver, are aware of the consequences of their actions, and if they know the possible outcomes and still do it, then the intention is to cause harm.

These unlawful taxi drivers should then only be charged with attempted murder and not be given a slap on the wrist when the good-standing police officer gives them a ticket.

To be fair, this should be the case of any driver who behaves in such a way; however, given the responsibility of a taxi driver, and my own observations as a fellow commuter, it is imperative we make this specific distinction.

Unlawful taxi drivers aren’t the only culprits; passengers, too, have their share of blame by continuing to allow it to happen and by supporting these drivers. These passengers can then only be one of two things — accessories to attempted murder or suicidal, both of which have serious outcomes.

As an accessory to murder, you are aware of the intention and do nothing about it; some passengers go as far as to encourage it, while most support it by paying. These passengers should be charged accordingly.

If passengers know the outcomes of the unlawful taxi drivers’ actions and accept it they are clearly part of the problem.

These points may sound rather dramatic, but this is the actuality of what is happening. The catastrophic outcome — death — doesn’t happen frequently enough to cause mass hysteria, but if we continue down the same path it will. Why are we waiting to find out?

Oraine Godfrey

oraine.godfrey@gmail.com