News24 reports that frustrated by what they described as “exploitation” and living in constant fear for their safety, e-hailing drivers brought services to a standstill on Friday in Nelson Mandela Bay in a desperate plea for their grievances to be heard.
The Eastern Cape E-hailing Association (ECEA), an affiliate of the National E-hailing Federation of SA, organised the peaceful protest. The shutdown is expected to expand to East London next week, with the possibility of a nationwide shutdown to follow. Starting at 05:00 of Friday, hundreds of e-hailing drivers gathered and parked their cars at King’s Beach parking lot in Gqeberha. They marched to City Hall, where they submitted a memorandum of demands.
The memo outlined a range of critical issues threatening the livelihoods and safety of e-hailing drivers in the province. Their concerns centred on ensuring a safe working environment for drivers, addressing the violence perpetrated against them by criminal elements, and curbing the alleged exploitation of drivers by the multinational companies that own e-hailing platforms. Over the past two years, the e-hailing sector in the metro has faced relentless attacks from criminals, resulting in the deaths of multiple drivers.
Mfundiso Gana of the ECEA expressed the association’s frustration with the government’s slow progress in regulating the e-hailing industry. Uber spokesperson Ben Harris said the company was aware of the e-hailing protest and understood the concerns raised.
- Read the full original of the extensive report in the above regard by Candice Bezuidenhout at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)
- See too, Gqeberha e-hailing drivers march over safety concerns, unfair pricing, and view a video clip at SABC News
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