The violent scenes we witnessed playing out across the country when e-hailing operators embarked on protest action this week were deplorable.
Operators of Uber, DiDi and Bolt went on a three-day protest across the country from Tuesday calling on the government to introduce legislation to improve poor working conditions in their sector.
Non-striking drivers were attacked by angry protesters who tried to ensure their “apps off” strike had an impact by shutting down e-hailing services. This resulted in disgruntled drivers attacking and disarming a policeman in Pretoria.
The officer was pulled out of his Toyota Corolla and the windscreen was smashed as they mistook him for an e-hailing driver. Two men have been arrested in connection with the incident.
In Randburg, Johannesburg, a group of operators were using their cellphones to monitor drivers taking trips. They would then chase them, force them to join the strike or attack them.
Ironically, the same drivers attacking and intimidating people were calling on the government to intervene with regulation that deals with the issues of safety, as they alleged that they were attacked by passengers. One of their grievances was that passengers were not screened properly by e-hailing companies, leaving them prone to assaults and robberies.
We expected better from them as some have been victims of attacks and crimes on the road. They should have protected passengers who were caught up in the attacks. These are the people who use their services and help them put food on the table.
Why bite the hand that feeds you? Why did they not embark on a peaceful protest action and negotiate with non-strikers to join them?
The acts of violence left operators and passengers vulnerable to attacks. These are criminal activities which drivers should have stayed away from and focused on calling for intervention to ease their problems.
They also complained about the pricing model the e-hailing companies use, which they said left them with little money in their pockets at month end. One of their demands was for a rise in fares that will see rates start at R50 per trip.
They called for the National Land Transport Amendment Bill, which will recognise and regulate e-hailing services in the country, to be signed into law soon. It is a call we back fully, as regulation would clarify guidelines for operating in the sector.
We also call for beefing up of security in e-hailing services that would ensure passengers and operators are properly screened on the platforms to curb incidents of crime.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.