WATCH | Sandton streets resemble war zone after attack on Uber drivers

Sandton city streets resembled a war zone on Thursday evening as Uber taxi drivers embarked on a rampage to avenge an attack on two of their drivers‚ whose vehicles were petrol-bombed.

Police blocked off roads in Sandton outside the Gautrain station as they tried to contain a feud between metered taxi drivers and Uber taxi drivers.

This follows the petrol bombing of two Uber cars outside the Gautrain station on Thursday evening‚ allegedly by metered taxi drivers.

One meter taxi was also on fire.

The area was a no-go zone as people believed to be taxi drivers were openly carrying guns and petrol bombs. Hotels also called in extra security as Uber drivers went to the Gautrain station and nearby hotels in search of metered taxi drivers.

Uber drivers also gave metered taxi drivers an hour to evacuate Johannesburg or there would be war. They said the police had failed them.

Police were overwhelmed and called on reinforcements to contain an escalating situation.

Following the petrol bombing of the Uber vehicles‚ Uber drivers assembled outside the Gautrain Sandton station vowing vengeance.

From the initial interviews that TimesLIVE had with the Uber drivers‚ it looked like the drivers were removed from their cars before the cars were petrol-bombed.

One of the drivers said he could not speak because he was too traumatised.

He said the attackers were carrying guns.

They did not say anything before removing him from his car and petrol-bombing it.

They pulled him out of the car. They were carrying guns and he ran away.

Another driver said he was scared to drive in Sandton for Uber.

“You are trying to make a living and other people are burning our cars.”

He said police were not doing enough. He said after the incident‚ the police would go and ithe area was not safe at all.

- TimesLIVE