POLOKWANE – E-hailing customers in Polokwane should brace themselves for significant changes following a recent meeting of vehicle owners and drivers subscribed to Bolt and Uber.
The meeting, held at the Peter Mokaba Stadium parking lot on Friday, aimed to address ongoing grievances within the e-hailing sector.
While an initial boycott of trips for Saturday and Sunday was planned, it was called off due to the short notice provided to drivers.
However, a more extended shutdown of private taxis is expected in the near future.
Aubrey Phasha, spokesperson for the Limpopo E-hailing Association (LEA), explained that the aim is to pressure app operators who have continuously ignored their concerns while still demanding usage fees during peak times.
Phasha indicated that the association is working on a written announcement to inform drivers about the upcoming two-week shutdown. Additionally, the LEA is addressing recent price increases that occurred without the consent of e-hailing app operators.
After years of unsuccessful attempts to negotiate price adjustments, Phasha stated that any fare below R30 will now be set at R30, with no room for negotiation. Furthermore, starting from 22:00, fares below R50 will be raised to R50, also non-negotiable.
“Uber and Bolt have reduced fees to the point where operators and owners are not benefitting from their work. Our pleas for better compensation have not yielded results, and now it’s time for action,” Phasha asserted.
He also mentioned ongoing discussions with both local and international transport technology companies to potentially replace Uber and Bolt, with updates to follow once agreements are reached.
While the Polokwane Observer reached out to both Uber and Bolt for comment, the companies were yet to reply at the time of going to print.
