To be fair to BPC, I later learned that before the weekend in question, they announced possible power interruption on national radio. If that were true, I would still slightly fault them because some of us get our information from alternative media sources. I hope in future the folks at BPC will remember that.
However, the events of Monday in which thousands of commuters were left stranded in the morning did not come as a surprise. I was not surprised at the surprise strike.
There are some things that were to be expected in the midst of Monday's taxi and combi strike.
One, we all know that the combi operators are a rude and somewhat aggressive lot. They are generally rude to both commuters and fellow road users alike. They honk everywhere and use abusive language at will.
By the way only rude people treat their customers with contempt. Rude people do not think twice about waging a strike unannounced. What we saw on Monday was just standard fare. So no surprises there.
Combi drivers are generally aggressive and give scant regard to the rule of law, individual choice and apparently, freedom of the individual. And by the way these are the very hallmarks of great nations.
On Monday, there were reports of intimidation of parents who had gone to drop kids at schools in Phase 2. Cab drivers did not escape the wrath of striking combi operators.
A friend told me that passengers were pulled out of cabs and some routes blockaded against motorists whose only mission was to drop off their kids at school and proceed to work. Now if this is not trampling on the rights of other people to pursue their business without hindrance, then I don't know what is.
What is also disconcerting is that acts of intimidation do not seem to be received with any sense of urgency by the leadership of the combi men.
The casual and somewhat cynical manner with which one of their leaders dealt with the issue on Gabz Fm radio was not reassuring at all.
The intimidation and contempt for customers by combi men are symptomatic of a wider problem, which in turn emanates from the permit system.
The permit system breeds an economically harmful phenomenon, which economists refer to as rent seeking behaviour. Rent seeking occurs when powerful lobby and special interest groups band together to extract concessions from consumers and government, which they would otherwise not get had they competed in the market place.
We love our football here and perhaps I should use a football analogy. If every time my favourite team, Notwane lost to Tafic fairly in the field of play, they approached BFA to have the results overturned, that would be rent seeking behaviour. My team would just be clamouring for points that they would otherwise not earn.
Similarly, the combi permit system encourages rent seeking behaviour. This is how; while there is only a limited number of permit holders on one hand, there are many people on the other hand, who want to enter the business but can't do so for lack of permits.
Those who already hold permits merely rent them out even though they no longer have vehicles on the said routes.
If there were a true market system based on free entry- free exit, such rent seeking behaviour would be cleaned out of the system.
A market system would not only bring in more players and choice for consumers but also create a competitive pricing system. The current approach whereby government and not the market, sets fare prices helps neither the commuter nor the combi man.
Clearly, the system is due for an overhaul. Free entry, free exit would bring in sanity, decency and competition in the taxi industry.
If we can leave the prices of maize meal and other foodstuffs to the market in keeping with the spirit of the 1990 Incomes Policy, then surely taxis are small change.
