Transport Minister calls for peace

Friday, September 8, 2017

Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi has condemned the violence that erupted between meter taxi and e-hailing drivers in Sandton.

On Thursday night, two Uber cars were petrol bombed in the Sandton CBD near the Gautrain station, allegedly by meter taxi drivers.

Police will continue to monitor all the identified hot-spots to prevent these acts of intimidation and violence.

“Perpetrators of violence and intimidation will be immediately dealt with in terms of the applicable laws. We call upon members of the public to be vigilant and report any acts of lawlessness, perceived or real, to the nearest police station or to report such incidents by calling 0860010111,” the Minister said.

Minister Maswanganyi will continue to engage with the Meter Taxi Association and e-hailing services which include Uber, Taxify and Zebracabs in order to bring stability to the industry.

Minister Maswanganyi said drivers must respect the agreement on 27 July between government and both operators. The Minister said the National Land Transport Act of 2009 (NLTA) is the primary law to regulate road-based public transport, and is the basis to resolve the challenges confronting the industry.

Based on the agreement, all parties committed to uphold and act within the provisions of the Act. Section 50 of the Act states that, “No person may operate a road-based public transport service, unless he or she is the holder of a legal operating licence or a permit”.

“This means that anyone who operates a public transport service for reward without an operating licence will be violating the law,” Minister Maswanganyi said. – SAnews.gov.za