A file picture of e-hailing drivers during a previous protest in the Pretoria CBD. Picture: James Mahlokwane
Pretoria - E-hailing drivers are set to for a massive protest to entice the government to protect them from exploitation, industry tensions and criminals.
The drivers who've partnered with global app giants like Uber, Bolt, inDriver, and Uber Eats last brought the streets of Pretoria to a standstill fighting for justice for a colleague whose body was torched near Unisa at the height of industry tensions.
National Spokesperson for the e-hailing industry Vhatuka Mbelengwa said the drivers were set for another massive protest on March 22, 23 and 24 to call on the government to assist them curb the exploitation by their app partners.
"Demonstrations will be held nationally. We have capacity in the Western Cape (Cape Town), Limpopo (Polokwane), North West (Rustenburg) and KwaZulu-Natal (Durban) to bring the cities to a standstill. We want to ask the government, why?"
He said they were tired of the government not intervening to regulate their "so called app partners" who subject them to cheap trips that leave them disadvantaged because of the little money they make.
Mbelengwa said the drivers actually planned to stage the protest in 2020 but lockdown was implemented, and it brought with it restrictions to gatherings. This meant they had to work under the same "unkind" conditions for years.
He said it was not enough that the government just said intervention would come or it was still at policy consideration level because drivers were struggling everyday.
"In fact, the only policy that exists are the by-laws for metered taxi drivers who are told where to operate and how much to charge for trips. We are simply saying, in the meantime, let us use those same regulations."
Mbelengwa said the drivers were also going to ask for the government to put measures in place to root out industry tensions because as long as it does not intervene, e-hailing kills the traditional minibus taxi industry. With that happening, they end up fighting each other while the app companies continue to operate as if everything is all right.
"We also want the government to deal with this issue of safety decisively because these apps can be created in a way that they ensure the safety of the passengers and the drivers.
"Everybody deserves to be safe. We do not want these sexual assault incidents occurring. We do not want the robbery of passengers and drivers. It has come to a point whereby drivers no longer enjoy transporting female passengers because they feel unsafe and think everyone might attack them."
He said they will go to the Department of Transport to ask why do they refuse to intervene and put protective measures in place to support opportunity seeking South Africans?
They will pose a question to the South African National Taxi Council to ask why they allow for participants within a sector they are responsible for, to be exploited?
"Why do you do nothing when platforms like Uber and Bolt undercut pricing and undermine the vast investment across industry as a result of non-competitive pricing structures?" He asked.
They will ask the Department of Trade and Industry why it has done nothing to support local participants and to ensure you advance protective measures that will aid the growth of South African citizens?
"Finally, we will confront the Presidency to say, Mr President Cyril Ramaphosa, when you campaigned for office you promised us new opportunities that will emerge from the fourth industrial revolution, you have given us a nightmare, you have handed us over to global exploitative companies. How long will you remain silent on this matter?" He added.
Pretoria News
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