Ceasefire
JOBURG – Uber and Gauteng Metered Taxi Council in talks to balance the playing field between stakeholders operating in the same transport space.
The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport released a statement on 10 July about recent talks between Uber and the Gauteng Metered Taxi Council (GMTC).
Gauteng’s MEC for Roads and Transport, Ismail Vadi, and member of Mayoral Committee for Transport in the City of Johannesburg, Christine Walters, facilitated the talks, to unpack the perceived competitive threat that Uber poses to the metered taxi industry.
On the table were proposals to resolve the ongoing dispute between Uber and the GMTC, which resulted in a recent spate of attacks on Uber drivers and riders by members of the metered taxi industry at selected pick-up points around the City (See previous article).
Vadi said talks were extremely positive and held in a constructive spirit.
Both parties agreed to consider proposals from government, Uber, and the GTMC on the future registration and operations of Uber drivers, and how metered taxi drivers could be incorporated onto the Uber platform.
The GMTC will consult its members, and meet again with Uber on 15 July.
In the meantime, both parties have agreed to take active measures to prevent any further acts of intimidation or provocation against one another.
