Drivers from popular e-hailing apps such as Uber, Bolt, and inDrive have engaged in multiple protest actions around South Africa this week.
Operators in the Western Cape marched through Cape Town on yesterday, while workers in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) are staging a multi-day strike outside Durban’s biggest airport.
The drivers are demanding better pay, working conditions, and safety requirements in light of South Africa’s economic environment and high crime rates.
What to be aware of
Members of the Western Cape E-Hailing Association (WCEA) arrived in Cape Town on Tuesday, 17 September, and marched from Hanover street to the provincial legislature to protest what they describe as exploitative practices and unfair conditions, according to GroundUp.
The WCEA’s list of demands includes higher pay, better safety conditions, and the reinstatement of drivers who have been “unfairly” removed from the e-hailing platforms.
It also wants the ride-service companies to remove the recently-added requirement that all cars be no older than three years, meaning that a driver is only eligible if their vehicle is a 2021 model or newer.
This is the latest in a series of protests planned by the WCEA which will take place once a month until the end of the year.
The first protest took place on 20 August, and the group has additional strikes planned for 22 October, 19 November, and 24 December.
In KZN, the local E-Hailing Council embarked on a multi-day protest outside King Shaka International Airport in Durban on Monday, 16 September, which is expected to last until the end of the week.
While the group is stationed at the airport, it says that its grievances are directed at the nation’s e-hailing companies like Bolt, Uber, and inDrive.
In the case of both unions, the most common complaint concerns include the pricing model employed by these service providers.
The KZN council said that the companies need to raise prices while also lowering their commission, thereby increasing revenue for the drivers.
It claimed that, under the current price model, operators barely make enough money to cover the costs of operations including fuel, maintenance, insurance, and stolen vehicle tracking and recovery.
Another major issue has to do with safety, as e-hailing drivers have become an easy target for South Africa’s criminals, often resulting in reports of muggings, hijackings and kidnappings.
The issue has become so widespread that vigilante groups have emerged in parts of the country with the goal of forming a protective union against attackers.
One of the demands is to include a user verification system so that operators can see who they are picking up beforehand, as hijackers often use the app to lure unsuspecting drivers to a secluded area.
Join the discussion