Police monitor Sandton after Uber, taxi wars

Gauteng police will maintain a "strong presence" in the Sandton CBD on Friday after clashes between Uber drivers and metered taxi drivers on Thursday night.

Two Uber vehicles and a metered taxi vehicle were torched on Thursday.

TimesLIVE reporter Graeme Hosken witnessed drivers retaliating and heard gunshots.

Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said the police had deployed members of the public order policing unit on Thursday night to contain the situation.

"The situation is calm at the moment. As for now‚ there will be police officers until things are back to normal‚" Masondo said.

He said no arrests had been made and police investigations would continue.

Speaking to eNCA on Friday morning‚ Uber general manager Jonathan Ayache condemned the violence.

"This type of behaviour is completely unacceptable … Retaliation is completely unacceptable‚" he said.

Ayache said Uber had reached out to the two drivers caught up in the incident on Thursday and offered their help.

He called on the police to step in.

On Friday‚ Minister of Transport Joe Maswanganyi "denounced acts of violence".

"Perpetrators of violence and intimidation will be immediately dealt with in terms of the applicable laws. We call upon members of the public to be vigilant and report any acts of lawlessness‚ perceived or real‚" the minister said in a statement.

Maswanganyi called on operators to obtain the correct licencing.

"No person may operate a road-based public transport service‚ unless he or she is the holder of a legal operating licence or a permit‚" he said.

"This means that anyone who operates a public transport service for reward without an Operating Licence will be violating the law."

Maswanganyi said the legislation also required operators to have signage that identifies them as a provider of public transport.