Editor,

On Friday night, after dropping a friend at home, I was on my way home when all of a sudden a moto taxi appeared out of the blue, and I ran into him and his passenger.

Thankfully, I was able to swerve and avoid hitting the motorcycle head-on and instead clipped it.

I stopped, got out the car running, thinking that I would see a scene straight out of a gory movie but the gods had decided to smile down on us and the moto taxi rider didn’t have a scratch on him and neither did his female passenger.

My vehicle however had a busted headlight, the right side mirror was torn off the body and the side that connected with the moto looked like an animal had attacked it with claws.

I called the traffic police and they arrived after about thirty minutes later, they did the measurements and all that and everything was relatively fine.

That is, until they asked for our insurance and drivers permits. I had those documents however the moto driver didn’t have a single thing!

He called his ‘boss’, and after another thirty-odd minutes the owner brought the insurance and registration.

However, he still didn’t have a permit. So, instead of going home, it was around 3 a.m now, I had to stand around while he attempted to plead with the traffic officers.

Eventually they let me go, but not before outrageously asking me to help them load the motorcycle unto the Police pickup.

I thought about laughing at them but I didn’t want to escalate the situation.

So I lifted the moto taxi and went home.
I wonder, how is it possible that someone like that is allowed to transport people around?

Shouldn’t there be some kind of certificate they have, from a national authority, before they take peoples lives in their hands? I’ve seen moto taxi riders reek of marijuana and alcohol.

There must be a manner in which we, the general public, can get some kind of assurance that we aren’t putting our lives in the hands of degenerates.

Name withheld on request