Special security task team formed to deal with Uber conflicts

Due to the ongoing conflict between Uber drivers and metre taxis in Joburg, a special security task team is being formed by provincial government.

About a week earlier, Uber launched a petition to get transport minister Joe Maswanganyi and police minister Fikile Mbalula to ensure Uber driver partners can continue to earn a living without fear.

The petition is not only centred toward driver partners, but also the passengers they transport who they say should be able to choose how and with whom they travel without fear.

Uber has been in talks with the police and feel that no meaningful intervention or arrests have been made in more than 200 recorded incidents against driver partners since their last meeting with police in July.

Uber said they have been doing all they can in preventing incidents by spending millions on private security for drivers but cannot and should not replace law enforcement.

“Government and police need to step in and take a much stronger stand to end this violence,” Alon Lits, Uber Sub-Saharan Africa’s general manager said.

Since the petition was made public, the Gauteng provincial government is forming a task team to do exactly what Uber is concerned about.

The Democratic Alliance’s Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport, Fred Nel has since welcomed the task team.

While Nel welcomed the move to manage the conflict, he called for more clarity around what actions the team would take to deal with conflict, who would form part of the team and whether cases of attacks would be included in their investigations.

“It is crucial that the conflict between metered taxis and Uber operators be resolved urgently,” Nel said.

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