Gauteng Transport MEC Ismail Vadi was assaulted, apparently by meter taxi drivers, in downtown Johannesburg on 16 May soon after concluding a media briefing on issuing operating licences for Uber taxi drivers.
Vadi officially launched the process of regulating Uber partner-drivers as Public Transport Operators.
Meter taxi drivers who were present at the announcement did not take too well to the news as Uber taxis will now be able to operate as metered taxis and take on some of the meter taxi routes.
#UberRegulation Enraged taxi operators assaulting an Uber partner driver. pic.twitter.com/UBe17CbhGk
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) May 16, 2016
#UberRegulation BREAKING: Group of licensed taxi operators attempted to assault Transport MEC Ismail Vadi.
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) May 16, 2016
In terms of the Provincial Regulatory Entity (PRE) regulations, any Public Operator should be licensed. The PRE is responsible for issuing public transport licences to qualifying public transport operators. It is also responsible for regulating public transport operators by registering public transport associations on its database.
Uber first came to Johannesburg in 2013 and since then it has grown in leaps and bounds across the city as well as in Cape Town and Durban. The company is looking to create 15 000 new job opportunities in the country.
https://twitter.com/KayaTraffic/status/732146466249166848
Vadi was assaulted by some of the taxi drivers after announcing that Uber drivers can operate as metered taxis as well.
— A.O (@PILLAY_CGLM) May 16, 2016
