Attacks on users and drivers are unacceptable

Uber in South Africa, faced with a rising wave of attacks on its drivers, is right when it says it cannot solve crime in the country.

The comment, on Wednesday, by the ride-hailing platform's general manager, Alon Lits, may seem insensitive, but it is the cold truth.

However, that doesn't mean Uber cannot do more to protect its drivers and passengers. Uber should listen to what the drivers have been saying and remove the option of cash-only riders from its platform. This development, while potentially deepening the pool of passengers, has been identified since its inception as a reason for the increase in attacks.

But Uber should not be expected to deal with the safety issue on its own.

The service that Uber - and similar operators - provides is not illegal and is rapidly becoming an essential component of public transport in our metros. This is vital as some cities, such as Cape Town, face being crippled if we do not embrace every option to take private cars off the road.

Yet those who choose to use Uber are harassed or attacked. Some transport hubs are fast becoming no-go areas, such is the level of intimidation.

On Wednesday a journalist in our newsroom had to fight off six assailants attempting to stop him using an Uber outside Sandton's Gautrain station.

This is unacceptable. Safety is a primary consideration - perhaps even more so than affordability - in broadening the use of public transport.

The SA Police Service, metro police, local government, other public transport operators and organised business should be involved in solving this problem.

This is an issue that goes beyond the safety of drivers and riders and will be a key factor in determining the viability of our cities.