Uber drivers live in fear

Uber and Taxify drivers, who face daily threats from metered taxi drivers, robbers and hijackers, are mobilising to voice their concerns and take action.

Uber drivers are living in fear of attacks by metered taxi drivers, of robberies and of hijackings. They have had enough and are mobilising to take action.

And they are also fed up with the Uber corporation which, they say, exploits them and doesn’t care about them.

This became apparent at a meeting yesterday held by “The Movement”, which is a mobilisation of drivers, mostly with Ubers but some with Taxify metered taxis, to discuss grievances in the hope that their voices are heard.

“People are getting followed from airports all the time. We have got the metered taxis to deal with, we have hijackings to deal with, we have got Uber who do nothing to help us and we don’t want to scare clients away,” said The Movement’s Teresa Munchick yesterday.

Her comments came shortly before a Taxify driver managed to escape injury when he jumped out of his car that was allegedly petrol bombed in Sunnyside, Pretoria.

According to witnesses, the white Honda had stopped on the corner of Justice Mohamed and Johnston streets to drop off a passenger.

Another vehicle following apparently threw a petrol bomb at the vehicle. The driver jumped out of the burning vehicle.

The owner of the vehicle, who wished to remain anonymous, said the driver was taken to Medforum Hospital for possible smoke inhalation.

“They attacked him thinking it’s an Uber. He is currently in hospital but apparently these attacks have been happening a lot lately,” she said.

Earlier this month, an Uber taxi driver was seriously burnt when his vehicle was set alight near the Loftus Versveld Stadium.

Munchick said Uber needed to allow for identification of passengers, and this would ensure they are not lured into a trap.

She further called for more drivers to mobilise in the hopes of the organisation growing, and in effect making a necessary change for those affected.

“We want indentification for cash trips. We need to mobilise people. This is a nice turn-out but we really need to get more people, so they take us more seriously,” she said.

Pointing to the issue of exploitation, Munchick added that partner drivers earn very little money and further questioned whether putting their lives at risk was worth it for a measly payout.

Some drivers at the meeting said Uber needed to be put under more pressure and suggested the possibility of striking for a day.

“We need to organise. Uber is exploiting us,” said one. –

Pictures: Davison Andrew Mudawariwo, Jacques Nelles BURNING ISSUE. A Taxify metered taxi burns on the side of the road after the driver was allegedly petrol-bombed in Sunnyside, Pretoria, yesterday. Inset: A police officer walks past the burnt-out vehicle.

Pictures: Jacques Nelles SHELL. The remains of a burnt Taxify metered taxi that was allegedly attacked and had a petrol bomb thrown at it in Sunnyside, Pretoria, yesterday. The driver managed to escape, leaving the car to roll down the road and stop against an apartment...

Picture: Tracy Lee Stark MOBILISING. Uber drivers at a meeting arranged by ‘The Movement’ where they raised concerns relating to being Uber drivers.