• Churches and police joined in prayer for safer roads as the holiday season brings increased risk of accidents.

• Residents said that prayer must be matched with responsible driving and proper rest for taxi drivers.

Long distance minibus taxi drivers transporting passengers are urged to have enough rest during their journeys.

This message was delivered during a prayer service when pastors joined police and residents at Cape Town’s Stock Road taxi rank to pray for fewer accidents during the busy holiday season.

Resident Mandisa Dokeni, 40, said prayer needs to be backed up by responsible driving.

“The problem is the drivers, not only taxi drivers. We have people who drink alcohol, knowing that they will be driving. Those people are the problem, and they have killed a lot of people,” said Dokeni.

She criticised taxi drivers who don’t rest enough. “We have drivers who travel from Cape Town to the Eastern Cape without sleeping. They need to stop that; they must stop putting money first. They must put the passengers’ lives first.”

Bishop Bottoman from Spiritual Crime Prevention said churches first held individual prayers before coming together at the taxi rank.

“We are here to ask God to be with everyone who will be travelling to different provinces during this time of the year. We pray for a safe journey without any accidents,” said Bottoman.

But he said that prayers alone won’t prevent crashes. “Drivers and other motorists need to play their part by following the rules of the road. We have noticed that during this time of the season, accidents increase. Driving safely ensures that they will reach their destination in one piece.”

Colonel Nyaniso Mandlana from the Philippi East Police station joined the prayers. “We believe that when we work together, we can achieve more.

“Gathering for prayer is a good thing because we all want the same thing — for people who will be travelling to arrive at their destinations safely,” he said.

Mandlana warned drivers not to drink and drive. “It is always good to take a rest when they feel tired, and maintaining the required speed on our roads will also assist in decreasing accidents.

“They must obey all the rules of the road and have the required number of passengers in their vehicles.”

A taxi driver at the prayer meeting promised they would be more careful this season.

Pictured above: Religious leaders pray for road safety at Stock Road taxi rank.

Source: Supplied