The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) has called on the government to implement the amended National Land Transport Act (NLTA) regulations in the e-hailing services sector.
The NLTA aims to regulate and manage the transportation of public passengers for reward. This includes various services offered by taxis, buses, trains and private cars used for e-hailing services.
The association urged the government to act, saying many e-hailing drivers operate without government-authorised permits.
“Santaco is deeply concerned about the continued illegality and lack of regulation in the e-hailing services sector,” said Santaco spokesperson Rebecca Phala.
“The current structure of e-hailing platforms does not enforce the requirement for these permits, leading to a flood of unregulated operators within the public transport space.”
She said this jeopardises commuter safety.
“This unrestrained influx is not only causing congestion in the sector but also posing serious safety threats to commuters. There has been a disturbing rise in reports of hijackings, abductions, sexual harassment and other violent crimes, all linked to the unchecked operation of e-hailing services under the current legal loopholes.
“Failure to act swiftly will only deepen the crisis in the public transport sector and further compromise commuter safety. The time for decisive action is now.”
There has been an ongoing battle between the taxi and e-hailing industries. On Wednesday, an e-hailing driver was killed at Maponya Mall when two e-hailing cars were set alight, allegedly by taxi operators. The feud is driven by competition for passengers and routes, with some taxi operators blocking e-hailing drivers from operating in certain areas.
The attackers are unknown and the police are investigating. Meanwhile, Santaco in Gauteng condemned the attack.
“Violence in any form has no place in our society. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased, and we wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured,” said the council's provincial secretary Graham Fritz.
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