He said, however, these kinds of relationships are often problematic and exploitative and no doub... Taxi drivers dating school

He said, however, these kinds of relationships are often problematic and exploitative and no doubt contribute to the much higher incidence of HIV and Aids among teenage girls than boys.

"Often it is girls, themselves who are blamed for being materialistic and entering these relationships for access to the 3 Cs - cash, cars and cellphones," he said.

A parent, who does not wish to be named, said he feels it's the taxi drivers' sweet talk that young girls fall for. "They charm the young girls and once they get what they want, they leave them," he said.

He feels that what happened with his daughters, whether it was consensual or not, was rape as they were still young. His wife, on the other hand, expressed a different opinion. She said she did not blame anyone for what happened to her daughters. "Before I blame anyone, I blame myself."

She said she believed dysfunctional families produce unhappy children who do not turn to their parents and fall prey to this type of situation. She said she had wanted to give her children a happy home but felt she had failed them.

A teenage girl, who cannot be named, said initially a driver would start by paying compliments to a young girl and the girl would eventually give in to the relationship.

"Being young and foolish you start to accept the gifts he buys for you. You forget about how old he is and enjoy that fact that he says he cares for you," she said.

She added that at first bunking school is not an option, but when "you think of the things the driver has done for you, you will bunk when they ask you to".

"Sometimes you do think about how it will hurt your family if they find out that you are dating a taxi driver, but then you realise that you have gone too far and can't go back."

A nurse from Newlands, Lizette Conway said some of the drivers and conductors have bad attitudes and act as if they are doing the community a favour but are just causing problems.

She feels there needs to be "some sort of law that monitors these guys' behaviour" and doesn't let them get off lightly when they put a foot wrong.

Pattman believes the root of the problem lies in the assumption that males are expected to be economically and socially more powerful than their female partners.

"If the problem of schoolgirls having relationships with taxi drivers is to be addressed, then, we need to encourage boys and girls to develop more equal relations with each other.

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