Cape Town - Nearly 150 Uber taxi operators will now be able to operate legally after they were granted metered taxi operating licences by the Western Cape government.
The department of transport and public works issued 201 metered taxis operating licenses, with 145 of them being awarded to the “Uber partners”, a statement from the department said.
Transport and Public Works MEC Donald Grant said the decision to award the licences comes after careful consideration and engagement with the City of Cape Town.
“In supporting applications for operating licences the planning authority, in this case the City of Cape Town, must indicate whether there is a need for the service on the route/s or area/s in terms of its integrated transport plan (ITP).”
He added that it was not easy to categorise Uber in the public transport service, as prescribed in the National Land Transport Act or in the city's ITP.
“This situation can only be rectified through a change in legislation, whether that be an amendment to the NLTA, or the promulgation of a municipal by-law by the City of Cape Town. Both processes are currently under way, and are likely to produce answers to important questions posed by the entry of Uber into the public transport arena.”
Engagements will continue to make amendments to the National Land Transport Act, but Uber drivers will require metered taxi operating licences to operate in the meantime.
The Uber drivers are required to have the licences to operate, despite not having meters.
“The Western Cape government and the City of Cape Town remain in support of new and innovative ways of providing safe and reliable public transport, however we cannot shirk our responsibility for ensuring safety and compliance within the public transport space,” Grant said.
He added: “Management of the public transport industry. It is essential that operations within the industry are regularised to promote fairness and to avoid conflict.”
Recently Uber drivers have come attack in some parts of the country, with meter taxi drivers intimidating them because they are unhappy about sharing routes.
While in Cape Town last week over 200 vehicles we impounded by law enforcement agencies, in what Uber said was an attack on their drivers because they didn't have the required licenses.
Cape Argus