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Govt to beef up security at Uber hotspots

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 21 Jul 2017
Police will help prevent clashes between meter taxi and Uber drivers.
Police will help prevent clashes between meter taxi and Uber drivers.

Law enforcement agencies will be deployed to all the identified hotspots where Uber operates across Gauteng, says government.

The government intervention comes after the recent spate of violent clashes between meter taxi and Uber drivers in the province.

Traditional meter taxi operators have been dead-set against the use of Uber in SA, saying it is eating away at their profits. This resistance has often resulted in threats and intimidation against operators and riders of the alternative app-based taxi service.

Uber South Africa released a statement on Monday warning of more intimidation against driver-partners and riders at Gautrain stations.

The company also confirmed that one of its driver-partners passed away this week after a brutal attack in Pretoria on the weekend of 10 June. The driver was attacked by a small group of unknown individuals and his car was set alight while he was in the vehicle, leading to him sustaining serious injuries.

This week, transport minister Joe Maswanganyi and police minister Fikile Mbalula met to discuss the ongoing feud between the two operators and determine how to prevent any public spats that fuel and prolong the tension.

Maswanganyi also called for calm while government is finalising the National Land Transport Act Amendment Bill, which is currently before Parliament.

The Bill will include e-hailing public transport services, says a statement.

Maswanganyi will also meet with meter taxi and Uber management.

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