Last night another e-hailing vehicle was torched at Protea Glen Mall. It is alleged that the driver was requested by a client and he was there to do a pick-up when he met the unexpected. This follows another incident in which three e-hailing vehicles were damaged and then set alight, allegedly by taxi operators at Maponya Mall in Soweto, last week Thursday.
LIVING IN FEAR
SAPS spokesperson Anthony Kholo confirmed the Bolt driver was requested to pick up clients at Protea Glen Mall, he parked next to the post office, the clients got in the vehicle and that's when three unknown males approached the vehicle. "They threatened the driver with a firearm and told everyone to exit the vehicle and they torched the vehicle. No one was shot or injured. No arrests have been made yet.
MAYBE IT'S NOT TAXI DRIVERS
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) says it's not ruling out anything but it's possible that the incident that happened at Maponya Mall last Thursday had nothing to do with taxi drivers. In a statement, Santaco said multiple cases were opened with the police by the e-hailing sector in Soweto. The incident allegedly involved confrontations between minibus taxi drivers and e-hailing operators, resulting in several vehicles being damaged and some torched. One of the e-hailing drivers has since succumbed to his injuries.
NOT ACCEPTABLE
Santaco's Mmatshikhidi Phala said, "At this point, it cannot necessarily be proved that the perpetrators of the violence are in fact from the taxi industry." She said that the taxi council condemned the violence and a meeting was held with their provincial leadership and the provincial department of transport. "An agreement was reached that law enforcement should be given space to do their investigations before pronouncing on anything. So, it's just to be certain exactly who are the suspects and what's happening. We are fully in support of it."
ARREST THEM
Gauteng MEC for Transport and Logistics, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, has condemned the violent behaviour and urged the police to act swiftly in arresting those involved. "Measures have been implemented, including alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to address conflicts within the public transport sector. I strongly condemn these senseless attacks on individuals and damage to people's properties, particularly vehicles. These barbaric acts are unacceptable and must be dealt with harshly. This comes against the backdrop where strides have been made to root out violence in the public transport sector following the 2019 Gauteng Transport Summit. "
