Commuters may miss flights due to metered taxi strike near ORT
Johannesburg - Anyone travelling to OR Tambo International Airport on Friday morning to catch a flight will find themselves in a major traffic jam as roads have been blocked by a metered taxi strike.
"If you are hoping of catching an early flight, you might be in trouble. I doubt anyone will make it now," EMPD spokesperson Lieutenant Kobeli Mokheseng told News24 on Friday morning.
In the early hours of the morning, metered taxis blocked the R24 freeway heading east between Edenvale and Barbara Road Off ramp. A little before 07:00, Mokheseng said about 60 metered taxi were also seen blocking the left lane of the Olifantsfontein off-ramp heading north in Tembisa.
Motorists are advised to add at least an hour to their driving time.
Other roads affected include the R21 south, opposite OR Tambo airport.
"EMPD is working towards opening road for free flow of traffic. At this point traffic is at a standstill," he said.
Mokheseng added that Gauteng police are working at resolving the matter with taxi drivers.
"It’s not clear what their conflict is. As you know, the Gauteng police have a unit called the taxi conflict unit. Police and other units are working towards a resolution." - News24
'Uber is killing us' - protesting metered taxi driver
"Uber is killing us," metered taxi driver Abner Mashikinoya said shortly after drivers went on strike, causing a traffic nightmare in Ekurhuleni on Friday morning.
Mashikinoya, a member of the Uber task team which was established to kick Uber out of the market, said they have exhausted all avenues in government and had to go on strike.
Traffic was blocked on major roads in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, with over 60 metered taxi drivers blocking roads.
"Uber... came here to kill the industry. We can’t even take our children to school. It's enough. We are tired and we are angry," he said.
Mashikinoya said metered taxi drivers were planning to partner with minibus taxi drivers to get government's attention.
"We are forced to partner with taxis. Government fears them, not us. They do not want to talk to us. They know Uber is illegal but have done nothing about it."
'Government is undermining us'
He said metered taxi drivers tried to organise a meeting with Transport Minister Dipuo Peters but her office cancelled the meeting at the 11th hour.
"This shows that government is undermining us. It must just stop. It came illegally, it’s operating illegally. It’s not registered, it’s something that came just to kill us."
He said things quickly changed for metered taxi drivers after the 2010 World Cup when government regulated prices.
"The government regulates pricing. They imposed R15 a kilometre. They never told us the World Cup is over, please go down. Now Uber came and surveyed our system, and went at the lowest price ever. I would also use Uber because it’s cheap."
He warned that more strikes were coming, should government refuse to remove Uber from the market.
"The government knows they have taken money from Uber because they are corrupt. They know this is wrong. The minister must answer. Stop giving us vague answers," he said.
It was reported that a convoy of striking taxi drivers were at Uber's office in Parktown North. Head of Uber SA, Alon Lits could not be reached for comment. - News24
'We are being intimidated' - Uber driver
As metered taxi drivers blocked off roads near the OR Tambo International Airport on Friday in protest against Uber, drivers from that service protested against their own company for allegedly not protecting them.
Uber driver Zweli Ngwenya told News24 that some drivers had submitted a memorandum to Uber and were expecting an answer, however the company allegedly did not respond to them.
The Uber drivers blocked roads around the company's offices in Parktown North.
In the early hours of Friday morning, metered taxi drivers blocked the R24 freeway heading east, between Edenvale and the Barbara Road off-ramp.
"Uber is killing us," metered taxi driver Abner Mashikinoya said, shortly after drivers went on strike.
Mashikinoya, a member of a task team which was established to kick Uber out of the market, said they had exhausted all avenues in government, and had to go on strike.
"Uber… came here to kill the industry. We can’t even take our children to school. It's enough. We are tired and we are angry," he said.
Uber driver Ngwenya said they wanted the company to know that they wanted to work with them, and not fight them.
"When we try to talk to them, they always say they do not recognise groups, they recognise individuals. All of us are being intimidated. All of us, our cars are being smashed. It is a problem for each and every driver."
He accused the company of not doing anything to address safety issues.
The company could not immediately be reached for comment.
Ngwenya said Uber had promised to increase security at Park Station in Johannesburg, however, that had not happened and drivers still felt unsafe.
"We are the ones that are in the frontline, we are the ones facing all these things, we are the ones that are in the field and they are in the office."
Another Uber driver claimed that, since the company introduced the cash trips, drivers had been hijacked.
"They have introduced cash trips. They say we have a choice to do cash trips, and we don’t. We only know once we arrive whether it’s a cash trip," she said.
She said drivers should be given a choice about whether to take cash trips or not.
Meanwhile, Thulani Xaba said he felt the pressure that the metered taxis were feeling because of Uber taxis.
"From my side, if the metered taxi guys are striking, I am feeling their pressure as well. Yes they must strike – Uber came to South Africa to take their business. We understand that Uber is treating clients really well…"
He said Uber should engage with the metered taxi drivers to hear their concerns.
Threats, intimidation against our drivers unacceptable - Uber
Uber South Africa says threats and intimidation against their "driver-partners", who want to use their services to boost their income, is unacceptable.
"Today’s [Friday] protest only underlines why people are increasingly choosing safe, reliable alternatives like Uber," Uber SA spokesperson Samantha Allenberg told News24 on Friday.
In the early hours of the morning, metered taxis blocked the R24 freeway heading east between Edenvale and Barbara Road off-ramp.
Major roads in the area have been re-opened after more than 60 metered taxis blocked roads near OR Tambo International Airport, Ekurhuleni metro police said.
Drivers from Uber protested against their own company in Parktown North for allegedly not protecting them.
However, Allenberg said the sentiments of the dozens of people outside their offices did not reflect those of the more than 4 000 "driver-partners" using the app across the country.
"A driver can now drive as their own boss, on their own time, with the freedom to work when they choose, thanks to Uber – and more are eager to make the most of these opportunities every week," she said.
She said their technology made it possible to focus on safety for riders and drivers before, during, and after every trip.
Allenberg said they were keen to offer their technology to a broad number of taxi drivers to boost their chances of making a profit.
"In fact, many metered taxi drivers are already using our technology to boost their incomes and we would welcome more who wish to join their colleagues. We do not feel that it should be about Uber or taxi, but rather Uber AND taxi."
Shortly after drivers went on a strike on Friday morning, metered taxi driver Abner Mashikinoya said: "Uber is killing us."
Mashikinoya, a member of a task team which was established to kick Uber out of the market, said they had exhausted all avenues in government, and had to go on strike.
Uber driver Zweli Ngwenya told News24 that some drivers had submitted a memorandum to Uber and were expecting an answer, however the company allegedly did not respond to them.
Ngwenya said they wanted the company to know that they wanted to work with them, and not fight them.
"When we try to talk to them, they always say they do not recognise groups, they recognise individuals. All of us are being intimidated. All of us, our cars are being smashed. It is a problem for each and every driver."
He accused the company of not doing anything to address safety issues.
But Allenberg said the company was committed to the safety of everyone who uses Uber.
"The quality of the drivers who use the Uber app is part of the reason so many people choose us as a safe, affordable way to get around Joburg," she said.
