South African Taxi Drivers Protest Demerit System

VOA Breaking News (Voice of America)
November 16, 2010 at 6:25 pm

Hundreds of taxi drivers marched in the South African capital of Pretoria Tuesday to protest new driving rules that could cost them their licenses.

The drivers are calling for the removal of a penalty system that assigns demerits for each driving infraction. If a driver amasses too many demerits, he can lose his license.

The South African Press Association says a driver would get a three-month suspension after 12 demerits. If a driver receives two more suspensions, the license is canceled.

Leaders of the drivers’ union say the system should include an educational element, rather than being only punitive.

Some information in this story was provided by AP.