Cab driver turns into service entrepreneur

28 June 2015 - 02:00 By ASHA SPECKMAN

Kevin Dube from Alexandra dreamt of studying law but fate intervened and he found himself working as a metered cab driver for four years before he resigned from his taxi firm in May last year to join Uber. Since then, life has changed for the 30-year-old, who has bought four vehicles and employs three drivers. Dube is categorised as a partner driver at Uber and the service registers his drivers under his name.story_article_left1"It has grown me financially. It's helped me to take care of my family and my mom," says Dube, who was raised by his mother after his father died when he was five years old.He says his income has increased fivefold since he joined Uber, but he is investing most of it back into the business."For me, adding another car means more income," he says.He registered a company - Kevin's Transfers and Tours - late last year and is now taxed as a business."I took it as my obligation."Kevin pays his drivers 20% of the fares and takes 80% for the petrol and vehicle maintenance. He pays his drivers weekly.The busiest periods are between Thursday and Saturday.As a taxi driver, he worked fixed hours, including Sundays. "It was all about targets."Now he sets his own hours and aims to register 10 cars with Uber within three years."The tough part is to get your first car," he said.story_article_right2"Having gone through everything I went through, I'm thinking this is the best thing. I'm looking at the growth."Uber has negotiated deals for insurance and car finance at a discount for its partners.Dube says his monthly instalment for passenger liability insurance used to be R1000 but this dropped to R700 after Uber negotiated a deal with Santam.Uber drivers get data cheap, too. "They've arranged a good deal with MTN whereby you pay R22.50 per week for data they deduct from the partners."Uber charges drivers R3 000 for handsets, which is deducted in monthly instalments of R600."If you leave them you can return the phone and get refunded," says Dube.SA Taxi Finance, which traditionally finances minibus taxis, is looking at bankrolling some Uber vehicles.Terry Kier, the chief executive of SA Taxi Finance, said the company was investigating the Uber model...

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