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A passenger opens the Uber app.
The KwaZulu-Natal E-Hailing Council and the Phoenix Taxi Association have agreed to work together following the assault on an e-hailing driver on Saturday.
The Provincial Department of Transport convened an emergency meeting in Phoenix, north of Durban, to ease tensions between e-hailing and taxi operators in the area.
The provincial Department of Transport brought together representatives of the two types of transport in a bid to calm tensions. This comes after an e-hailing driver, Sphelele Gumede, was allegedly assaulted and his car was held for ransom after dropping off a passenger at the Phoenix Plaza.
In the meeting held behind closed doors, taxi operators tabled their grievances with the e-hailing operators encroaching on their territory. They agreed to hold regular meetings, starting in March, to find ways of ensuring lasting peace in the local public transport industry.
KZN E-Hailing Council Secretary- General Sithembiso Khanyezi says they want a peaceful co-existence and for the police to take action when drivers are attacked.
“The formula that we are trying to establish here or in the meeting that we’ve had is to ensure that no other attacks are directed to the e-hailing drivers, no other intimidation acts will be directed to e-hailing drivers. So, with what has been decided inside here, it gives an understanding that one can operate using the APP, anything outside that the association will move in,” explains Khanyezi.
Both parties have agreed for e-hailing operators to use designated pick up and drop off points away from taxi ranks.
Ravi Venketsamy of the Phoenix Association says they do not condone the assault of the e-hailing driver at the Phoenix Plaza.
However, he stressed that their issue is with individuals operating off e-hailing APPS because they are stealing their passengers and hurting their businesses.
“Phoenix is a huge township. We never one day went on the road and stopped e-hailing services on the road and said they are not allowed to pick up door-to-door. So, only where our ranks are, that’s where we use our security and personnel to protect what’s left of ours,” says Venketsamy.
Clashes between e-hailing and taxi operators have been persistent in the province for some time, with incidents reported in several areas including in KwaMashu, Inanda and Chesterville.
The tensions stem from intense competition and the lack of regulation in the e-hailing industry.
To better regulate the sector, the National Land Transport Amendment Act requires e-hailing companies to register.
E-hailing platforms have to secure their registration with the national regulator by next month.
Spokesperson for the provincial Department of Transport, Ndabezinhle Sibiya says they are optimistic that the situation between e-hailing and taxi operators will improve.
“It was agreed that traffic enforcement and order will be strengthened. The two bodies will be part of the regulations,” says Sibiya.
The provincial government plans to hold an e-hailing summit to address challenges in the sector later this year.
