Published: 9 hours ago

The National E-hailing Federation of South Africa (Nefsa) has warned that e-hailing drivers will down tools nationwide unless their demands regarding pay and working conditions are met.

Speaking to Cape Talk, Nefsa president Elijah Lekgowane explained that discontent among drivers had been brewing for a long time, which has led to "unprecedented" cooperation among e-hailing association.

Lekgowane said their grievances were that e-hailing platforms had slashed fares by 35% since 2016, were deactivating driver accounts without due process, and phasing out vehicles older than five years.

"Over and above that, lack of safety features in their apps that compromise our lives. These are among the problems we have that prompted us to go to the street," he said.

"Previously, we had provincial regions going solo on protest marches. We are now consolidating at national level. The mother of all protest actions is about to hit the country — sooner rather than later."

On the issue of safety features, platforms like Uber and Bolt have consistently said that they added many features to address concerns.

These include the ability for riders to share their in-trip locations with loved ones, in-trip audio recordings, and requiring drivers to enter a PIN before a trip can begin.

For drivers, it offers emergency response, allows friends and family to follow their route, and detects if a trip has an unexpected long stop.

Despite numerous safety features, both drivers and riders have reported being victims of crimes committed by the other party, often with limited recourse or support from the platform.

Lekgowane said they are demanding that prices be restructured and that the deactivation and harassment of drivers stop immediately.

He alleged that some drivers had already received emails warning that they would be deactivated for participating in an illegal strike. He also accused government of being complicit in the problems.

"Our government seems to be conniving and conspiring with these people. The silence of this government is deafening," he said.

Regarding when the strike will happen, Lekgowane said they held a national coordinating committee meeting last week where provincial associations came together.

"We can't say that it will happen tomorrow, but definitely, national action is coming. That is what I guarantee you," he said.

"We are saying to the app companies: If we can't make earnings, you can't make profit. As simple as that."

Nefsa's warning of a national strike comes after Johannesburg e-hailing drivers staged a shutdown earlier this month to protest issues such as Uber's commission percentages and unprofitable fares.

Participating drivers said the strike would continue until their grievances are heard and their pricing demands are met; however, e-hailing users in Johannesburg have not reported interruption of services.

Prices and commissions on e-hailing platforms have been a long-standing issue, with drivers organising regular protests for higher pay.

Drivers demonstrated outside Parliament in November 2021 to demand that e-hailing services increase their fares and decrease the commission they take.

As recently as September 2024, drivers planned a shutdown and demonstration outside King Shaka International Airport.

Then, the KZN E-hailing Council also demanded higher prices and that the apps take lower commissions. It also asked that the e-hailing platform providers ensure the safety of drivers and riders.

The E-hailing Partners Council (EPC) also warned of a shutdown of Gauteng e-hailing services in January to protest the impounding of their vehicles and the lack of proper licensing channels.

Although it distanced itself from the protest, the EPC said it was equally frustrated with the impoundments, declaring them unjust and fighting to stop them.

It said the issue stems from the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport's failure to issue operating licences due to its lack of necessary systems. The department claimed to have a two-year backlog.

"This is despite the department having imposed a moratorium four years ago to fast-track the backlog," the EPC stated.

According to the organisation, there were approximately 21,000 operating licence applications under consideration by the department.

"The department has only issued nearly 9,000. This shows that e-hailing operators are keen to comply," it said.

However, it added that the department has let them down. The EPC said the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has imposed another moratorium to address its processing issues.

"On the other hand, they are allowing impoundments to take place, yet the lack of compliance is caused by the department," it said.
- mybroadband

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