Cape Town - The Western Cape E-Hailing Association (WCEA) is planning a three-day stayaway to protest against the alleged mistreatment of its members by major e-hailing platforms Uber, Bolt and inDriver.
The association said the stay-away would start on November 14, and drivers would return to work on November 17.
WCEA chairperson Siyabonga Hlabisa said during the stayaway drivers represented by the association would switch off their devices to pressurise the e-hailing platforms into responding to their demands.
Hlabisa said the demands are part of a list of grievances the association has tried to engage in with the platform operators, which has had little to no success.
“Drivers are concerned about several issues, such as the pricing of the trips. I mean the cost of living continues to rise, however, these apps have chosen to decrease the prices, costing drivers immensely. The commission is something we have been asking these platforms to change for some time but nothing has been done.
“Drivers are also concerned about their safety, while these apps are making strides in developing initiatives to ensure the safety of their clients, drivers do not receive the same attentiveness. We are also concerned about some of the developments these apps keep on introducing that disadvantage our drivers.
“During the stayaway, we’re calling on all drivers to unite behind the cause and look at the bigger picture. We can only achieve our objective by moving together,” Hlabisa said.
Bolt East and Southern Africa regional manager Takura Malaba said that Bolt was aware of the planned protest by ride-hailing drivers and respected every driver’s right to protest, but urged participants to do so responsibly.
Malaba said: “Bolt has always appealed to drivers to protest legally, peacefully and without impacting the rights of other drivers who are choosing to continue to operate and earn an income.”
inDrive said: “During the meeting, we addressed some of the concerns brought up by the association, which primarily focused on drivers’ earnings. We emphasised that, in contrast to other companies, inDrive offers the lowest market commission, capped at no more than 10%.
“We were pleased to inform the association about our dedicated driver engagement team in South Africa and our ongoing efforts to enhance driver safety. inDrive remains hopeful for a resolution that won’t disrupt our passengers' services.”
A spokesperson for Uber said for the platform service provider the safety and well-being of its drivers and riders was one of its utmost priorities.
“We have a clear value proposition for drivers and riders in the app and outside of it, and in terms of engagement with drivers, we have a comprehensive approach that includes frequent roundtables with drivers who opt-in to the meetings where we discuss specific topics and get feedback for current and future features with drivers,” they said.
“As Uber, we remain committed to maintaining an open dialogue dynamic between ourselves and all relevant stakeholders, for progressive and mutually beneficial discussions to take place.”