Commuters cannot be held to ransom by meter taxi drivers: Mbalula warns

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula says commuters have been abused and cannot be held to ransom by the criminal actions of meter taxi drivers.

"We must zoom in and we must clamp down on anarchy."

He said if meter taxi drivers are unhappy with Uber's pricing‚ they should speak to Joe Maswanganyi‚ the minister of transport.

Mbalula was speaking on Tuesday on the sidelines of a media conference in Pretoria.

He said he loves Uber and loved meter taxis when they were "fashionable"‚ but believes mass transport has to be modernised.

"If Uber comes with innovation‚ and people love it‚ they (meter taxis) too must modernise and come to the party and have their own apps‚" Mbalula said.

"That is how business is contested. It is not contested by imposing a methodology on society."

Mbalula said he does not believe meter taxis are disadvantaged by technology. He believes meter taxis are handicapping themselves by not embracing technological innovations.

"Calling a taxi with your cellphone and sending your child to a primary school or anywhere at a minimal cost and still you look good. Everybody wants that."

Gauteng Premier David Makhura announced on Sunday that a special task force had been formed to stop the violence between meter taxi drivers and Uber drivers.

"You will see a lot of police operations over the next few days‚" Makhura said.

Since the beginning of the year close to 300 incidents of violence have been reported between Uber and meter taxis. Tshwane registered 204 incidents‚ Johannesburg registered 86 and Ekurhuleni registered four. Most of the incidents occurred around Gautrain stations in Hatfield and Sandton.

Earlier this month‚ Sandton city streets resembled a war zone 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 meter taxi drivers and Uber taxi drivers.

This followed the petrol bombing of two Uber cars outside the Gautrain station allegedly by meter taxi operators.

There have only been 28 arrests‚ although there were 166 cases under investigation.

Makhura said if the conflict was allowed to continue‚ it might lead to a situation where hired assassins are drawn into the conflict.