e-Hailing drivers to strike

e-Hailing drivers are set for a massive protest next week, hoping it will compel 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, reports the Pretoria News.

“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 are 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.

He said it is not enough that the government just says intervention would come or it was still at policy consideration level because drivers are struggling.

“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 saying, in the meantime, let us use those same regulations.”

He said they want the Department of Transport, the South African National Taxi Council and the Department of Trade and Industry to engage with them.

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