The Gauteng Department of Roads and Logistics MEC, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, has no proper plans and solutions to resolve and end violence between the e-hailing and taxi industry that has resulted in lives being lost.
This was discovered during a recent meeting with stakeholders in the e-hailing and taxi industry, the department and the Gauteng Portfolio Committee on Roads and Logistics.
Instead of a viable solution for the sector, what emerged is that the Gauteng Department of Roads and Logistics is pressuring both industries to participate in an e-hailing app called SHESHA. This e-hailing platform is owned by the South African National Taxi Alliance (SANTACO) and the Gauteng National Taxi Alliance (GNTA), which has the backing of the department.
The e-hailing industry feels that it is being strong-armed by the department to use the SHESHA app, which is not what they want. The E-hailing Partners Council (EPCO) has not been told how SHESHA will benefit them. It is shocking that the MEC would move for the use of this app when media reports have indicated that some of the drivers on the SHESHA e-hailing app had resorted to intimidation and that they are soliciting money from other e-hailing drivers who use other apps to conduct business.
Diale-Tlabela must rather focus her efforts on quelling the violence between e-hailing drivers and taxi drivers.
Furthermore, instead of establishing crisis task teams, she needs to take a hands-on approach and resolve all the issues in the public transport sector. What is needed is a plan to deal with the so-called no-go zones for e-hailing drivers and to create a safe space for Gauteng commuters whose right to choose is being infringed upon.
Missing from the meeting was the taxi industry itself, a critical voice that could help bring rogue elements to account.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng will request a meeting with the MEC to discuss our concerns regarding the SHESHA e-hailing platform. We want to know the directors of this new platform to determine if there are any links to government officials.
Gauteng residents deserve to feel safe in choosing their preferred mode of transport, free from intimidation and violence. They should not have to look over their shoulders for stray bullets in a turf war between transport operators.
A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would immediately engage with all stakeholders in the public transport industry to determine their concerns and how they can be assisted. We would also engage with the management of all malls across the province and municipalities to establish dedicated pick-up and drop-off zones for e-hailing drivers to ensure that each mode of public transport has its own dedicated areas to operate in.
The department cannot continue to operate in the shadows, offering half-answers. Residents demand clarity, accountability, and above all, a safe public transport system.