What was supposed to be the launch of the Gauteng Department of Transport’s process of regulating Uber partner-drivers, has turned into chaos as angry metered taxis have stormed the meeting, nearly assaulting the department’s MEC.
MEC Ismail Vadi was set to launch the process which will see the contentious issue of the licencing of Uber drivers put to bed, as regulation would require them to register as a licensed public operator.
This is in line with the Provincial Regulatory Entity (PRE), which is responsible for issuing public transport licenses to qualifying public transport operators and regulating public transport operators by registering public transport associations on its database.
According to videos and photos posted by @JacaNews, metred taxi drivers disrupted the launch when they parked their cars in the middle of Diagonal Street, just outside the Gauteng Provincial government offices, stormed inside the building and chased after the MEC and Uber drivers.
#UberRegulation Video of taxi operators chasing after MEC Vadi. pic.twitter.com/QzqsQcfajB
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) May 16, 2016
#UberRegulation Enraged taxi operators assaulting an Uber partner driver. pic.twitter.com/UBe17CbhGk
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) May 16, 2016
#UberRegulation Diagonal Street still blocked by parked taxis. pic.twitter.com/ythrdLmQWk
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) May 16, 2016
The metered taxi drivers have reportedly staged a sit-in inside the building, demanding (ironically) to speak to the MEC and Gauteng Premier David Makhura. Police are at the scene to control tensions and speak to the angry group.
Uber and metered taxi drivers have had a series of meetings with the transport department regarding the licencing of Uber drivers as transport operators.
The matter has been behind a number of often violent protests by metered taxi drivers which flared up last year in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
[Image – CC YouTube]