Mamabolo urges e-hailing drivers to call off three-day national shutdown

Gauteng Transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo appealed to the e-hailing industry to continue with negotiations, saying the planned national shutdown next week will lead to chaos on the roads.

E-hailing drivers from Uber, Bolt, InDriver and DiDi will embark on a three day strike from Tuesday, 22 March to Thursday.

The first two marches are expected to take place in Tshwane during the strike.

The drivers will head to Department of Trade and Industry and to the Union Buildings where memorandum of demands will be handed over.

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In Johannesburg, marchers plan to head to Mamabolo’s office on the last day of the strike.

The drivers are demanding better pay in the light of rising petrol costs, safety measures for the industry and an end to exploitation.

“We are saying to government, regulate this industry. Regulation is not a foreign concept and seeks to protect participants within that industry.

“We are asking government to make sure we are not exploited, to make sure that organisations that operate ensure that everybody earns a decent wage.

“We have laws that protect against this, and these laws are being violated,” Public Private Transport Association spokesperson Vhathuka Mbelengwa told EWN.

But Mamabolo has cautioned against the strike.

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The MEC said there had been violent incidents whenever there was a protest by the e-hailing drivers.

“The protests lead to violence, intimidation, destruction of property especially vehicles… and there has been loss of life.

“Such approach to handling disputes creates suffering, damage and also road users and motorists get frustrated by protests. We are appealing to e-hailing drivers to return to the mediation process,” Mamabolo told Jacaranda FM.

Uber and Bolt are the dominant players in the industry.

The two companies also offer food and parcel delivery services, which would also be shutdown during the national strike.