Gauteng metered taxi drivers gathered in Centurion on Thursday to air their frustrations with the way they have been undercut since the arrival of Uber.
Listen to their Frustrations! pic.twitter.com/tOul74KDBM
— Nkosinathi Shazi (@NkosinathiShazi) June 22, 2017
The Gauteng Metered Taxi Operators Committee (GMTCO) directed its grievances to the department of transport, for allegedly allowing Uber and Taxify to operate without being regulated and with no code of conduct.
They also said the usually lower rates Uber charges to theirs make it hard for the taxi industry to keep up with its competitors. They also criticised the role the media played in the debacle.
"We used to get about seven trips in a week before Uber came. Now we cannot even get one trip, and when we come [home] empty-handed, what are our children going to eat? What is the wife going to say", one member of the association told HuffPost SA but refused to be named.
Police keeping a close watch on the drivers #metertaxistrike@HuffPostSApic.twitter.com/NBuuf2MBkV
— Nkosinathi Shazi (@NkosinathiShazi) June 22, 2017
The police were also on the scene and on high alert, following recent reports of violence between metered taxi drivers and Uber drivers.
Reminiscent of scenes in Marikana, the police stood away from the crowd and watched the memorandum being read.
Here are some scenes from Centurion:
— Nkosinathi Shazi (@NkosinathiShazi) June 22, 2017
Here is the GMTCO spokesperson talking about the whole situation of metered taxi and Uber, not forgetting the media:
— Nkosinathi Shazi (@NkosinathiShazi) June 22, 2017
There's more:
Listen to the drivers https://t.co/70hdWQ2gIO
— Nkosinathi Shazi (@NkosinathiShazi) June 22, 2017
The Verdict https://t.co/m10pUCUDjP
— Nkosinathi Shazi (@NkosinathiShazi) June 22, 2017