Earning R8,000 a week with e-taxi is 'impossible': former driver

It is "impossible" to earn R8,000 a week as a driver for the e-hailing service Taxify.

That is what Thando Dube claimed in his complaint, which the ad watchdog the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) upheld. 

Dube said he worked for Taxify as a driver for several months. He complained about Taxify SA's Facebook adverts which claim: "Earn R8000/week driving with Taxify."

Taxify SA is not an ARB member, but responded by saying they never wanted to mislead anyone.

"It is true that some drivers who avail themselves on the Taxify app have earned more than a gross income of R8,000 per week in the past. As Taxify does not pay for petrol and other expenses it cannot comment on what the driver’s net income is after he has received his payment from Taxify South Africa (Pty) Ltd."

The e-hailing service said it will change their ads to read "earn R8,000/week" to "earn around R8,000/week". The ARB felt this was "substantially the same claim as the original claim".

They gave Taxify SA a second opportunity to respond and "asked for substantiation of the amount claimed". Taxify SA declined.

ARB told its members not to accept Taxify SA ads containing the claim.