Johannesburg – A Gauteng e-hailing driver who was duped into accepting a trip request had his four tyres stripped and stolen, allegedly by striking e-hailing drivers in Soweto.
E-hailing operators, particularly from Bolt, Uber and Didi- have been partaking in a three day strike this week calling for government regulation in the industry and for the operators to reduce their commission.
This comes in the face of sky rocketing fuel price increases in recent months, which has seen the price of fuel surpass R20 per litre for the first time in the country’s history.
Striking drivers have been frustrated and have felt betrayed by colleagues who have chosen not to partake in the strike and who have been cashing in on high fare prices due to the reduced supply of vehicles due to the strike.
One driver who made R4 000 on Bolt on Tuesday, the first day of the strike, has caused anger among those who have been marching, striking and demonstrating for changes in the sector.
Both Uber and Bolt have threatened to suspend and remove drivers who were participating in violence and intimidation of those who chose to operate.
According to a video clip of the incident, the driver accepted a trip request in Soweto when he was confronted by protesting drivers who stripped the car’s tyres.
A narrator in the video clip said the incident happened in Soweto, near the Jabulani Mall, indicating that the tyres had been stripped as the driver would not listen to calls for all e-hailing operators to stay off-line during the three day strike, in which drivers are calling for reduced commission from app operators and for the government to regulate the industry.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, thousands of drivers marched to the offices of Gauteng Transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo.
On Tuesday, in Pretoria, a memorandum was handed over to the Department of Trade and Industry, with a two day deadline for a response mooted.
The strike is expected to end on Thursday and services are expected to resume on Friday, although strike organisers have yet to officially announce the strike will definitely end on Thursday.
The police have not commented.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said: “Thus far we do not have anything reported to us, we are still gathering information as and when incidents happen.
“All we know about is the incident at the Union Buildings where the police officer was assaulted and disarmed,” he said.
IOL