adminTRAVEL has always been part of our lives.
It’s enjoyable and safer when it is properly planned.
Some prefer short-cuts while others opt for long and yet reliable routes.
Others are only concerned about reaching their destinations.
Nowadays, travelling has become the in-thing since most people are now hustling for a living.
Hustling requires a lot of movement, especially when it involves supplying and distribution of stuff.
This has also led to the increased demand for travelling.
Failure to do so means families will struggle to make ends meet.
However, safety is always at stake when one thinks of travelling for either shopping or just to have some fun.
Travelling can be a nightmare when you meet trouble along the way.
Nowadays, those travelling by road are always at a higher risk.
This follows an influx of pirate taxis known as mushikashika.
The mushikashika menace is very real.
Not only are these rogue taxi drivers putting the lives of commuters at risk but they are also fuelling crime.
Cases of commuters being robbed, mugged and raped in these taxis continue to hit headlines each day.
In extreme cases, there are some who have been killed by these mushikashika crews.
Yesterday, we ran a sad story involving a 26-year-old man, who was arrested, for allegedly raping passenger in a pirate taxi along Domboshava Road.
The accused is said to have raped a 20-year-old woman in a parked car near Hatcliffe Market.
The victim has already been taken to a local referral hospital for medical examination.
While the man will have his day in court, the 20-year-old woman’s life is now ruined. She will also take time to heal from the trauma of being sexually assaulted by a stranger.
In recent weeks, we also ran another case involving a man, who was also robbed in a pirate taxi, on his way to bank his company’s money.
Although the money was recovered and the culprits were arrested, this was the highest level of stupidity by an employee to opt for this mode of transport.
There are several cases where commuters have also lost valuables like cellphones, laptops and jewellery to mushikashika crews.
A surge in cases of people being harassed by mushikashika crews has also been noted and calls for a collective effort for us to tame this menace.
Police chiefs have been urging the public to shun this mode of transport.
It seems their pleas are falling on deaf ears as some commuters continue to ignore their calls.
As a way forward, people need to properly plan their journeys before travelling. To the commuting public, we always advise them to use registered public transport.
At family level, we urge people to hire the people they know if they are to travel in groups.
The police also need to flush out pirate taxis which are usually driven by unlicensed drivers.
Commuters should play their part and not put their lives at risk by using mushikashika.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter