Major province says no to new Uber drivers, luxury car dealers closing doors, and South Africa’s new most powerful bakkie

These were the five biggest stories in South Africa’s transport industry this week.

Major South African province says no to new Uber and Bolt drivers

The Western Cape has reached its annual quota for operating licences for e-hailing services and metered taxis.

Consequently, the province will not process any further applications.

The local government received over 14,000 applications, of which it has approved 3,354 on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Volvo dealers closing doors in South Africa

Volvo Car South Africa (VCSA) confirmed to TopAuto this week that it plans to close 12 of its 19 dealerships across the country.

The company remains committed to the South African market but is currently revising its outlook with a new business strategy.

The move has understandably received pushback from some of the affected dealerships.

South Africa’s new most powerful bakkie officially goes on sale

BYD has officially launched the new Shark 6 bakkie in South Africa at a starting price of R959,900.

The Shark is the brand’s first bakkie, featuring a plug-in hybrid powertrain that combines a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with two electric motors.

The result is an output of 321kW and 650Nm, making it the most powerful pickup on the market.

Big win for flight tickets in South Africa

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) is cracking down on overbooked flights in South Africa.

The NCC is currently investigating FlySafair for the practice following several complaints from customers.

It argues that overbooking is prohibited under the Consumer Protection Act, as it amounts to accepting payments for goods that do not exist.

How much it costs to fix one broken traffic light in South Africa

It costs approximately R300,000 to repair a single traffic light in South Africa.

This was revealed by the City of Johannesburg, where it is estimated that 20% of its 2,000 signals are out of order.

As a result, the city is facing a backlog repair bill stretching over R70 million.