Operating licences for Uber slammed

THE Western Cape Metered Taxi Council ( WCMTC) has cried foul over the awarding of operating licences to Uber drivers.

The council’s chairperson, Aldino Muller, said yesterday Uber was being allowed to operate in contravention of the provincial regulations.

“Metered taxis have to have sealed meters, permanent roof and door signs, and fixed tariffs clearly visible, yet Uber does not have any of those,” Muller said.

Uber tariffs also fluctuate, which is in contravention of the law, Muller said, and added that tariffs were regulated and taxis can charge only between R8 and R15 a kilometre.

Uber, however, increases and decreases its tariffs depending on demand. In January, the Cape Times reported that Uber had charged customers thousands of rand for trips that would normally cost only a few hundred rand.

Now Uber has a winter special, charging customers R5.60 a kilometre.

Muller said it was impossible for the rest of the industry to compete with Uber when it charged less than half the going rate.

When Uber applied for operating licences to the provincial Department of Transport and Public Works, the WCMTC opposed their application.

Muller said the WCMTC represents 1 000 operators and they were now weighing up their options, which includes legal action.

He said the industry could not allow Uber to flood the metered taxi market, which was already saturated.

Muller said the industry had spent years working on being accountable and operating within the law.

“We advocate peace and legal processes,” he said, and it was unfair that Uber had come in, operated illegally, and had been granted legal status within a matter of months.

This week, the City welcomed the granting of 145 metered taxi operating licences to Uber drivers. This came after months of protests by the metered taxi industry and the City impounding more than 200 Uber taxis.

In a press release, City Mayco member for transport Brett Herron said the Uber service has the potential to raise the quality of service in Cape Town and to make ondemand transport services more commuter-focused.

Uber drivers have been granted licences pending new transport laws that will include e-hailing.

Uber spokesperson Samantha Allenberg said they are keen to offer their open software to as many taxi drivers as possible to help boost their occupancy rates.

“In fact, many metered taxi drivers are already using our technology to boost their incomes and we would welcome more who wish to join their colleagues.

“We do not feel that it should be about Uber or taxi, but rather Uber and taxi,” Allenberg said.

Siphesihle Dube, spokesperson for Transport and Public Works MEC Donald Grant, had not responded to queries by late yesterday.

Tariffs also fluctuate, which is in contravention of the law, Muller said