The Western Cape E-hailing Association (WCEA) has announced its participation in the ongoing Cape Town taxi strike, aligning with the South African National Taxi Council’s (SANTACO) decision to suspend all minibus taxi operations.
No e-hailing services in Cape Town: Here’s everything you must know
This development is likely to impact commuters relying on e-hailing services such as Uber, In-Driver, and Bolt.
WCEA Supports Stay Away Protest
In a statement, the WCEA expressed solidarity with its members’ calls for more action to halt the impoundments affecting their vehicles.
The association has decided to participate in the protest through a “Stay Away” action, where all e-hailing vehicles will be parked and not engaged in normal business until further notice.
“In line with calls by our own members calling for more shift action to stop the current spate of impoundments, we deemed it necessary to support the call for the stay away,” the association noted.
Commuter Disruption Expected
With e-hailing services joining the taxi strike, commuters in Cape Town are likely to face significant disruptions in transportation options.
As e-hailing services are a popular choice for many residents, the Stay Away action is expected to leave people searching for alternative means of transportation indefinitely.
Cape Town taxi strike: Motorists warned to avoid these roads
The taxi strike has already resulted in sporadic incidents of violence and stone-throwing.
Four Golden Arrow buses were set alight, and a driver was shot and wounded in Khayelitsha during the strike.
Road users have been warned about stone-throwing incidents in areas like Dunoon and Jakes Gerwel Drive, urging them to avoid these locations and remain vigilant while driving.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has strongly condemned the violence that has accompanied the taxi strike.
While acknowledging the right to protest, he emphasised that it should not infringe upon the rights of others.
Premier Winde called for a peaceful resolution through dialogue and urged all stakeholders to address the issues at hand without resorting to violence.
Despite the disruptions caused by the strike, Premier Winde expressed gratitude to the citizens who stepped in to help those stranded without transport.
Many residents came together to offer assistance, ensuring that people could reach their destinations safely amid the ongoing strike.
“I also want to say thank you to those citizens that stepped in last night to help so many people get home and really apologise to the citizens who were left in the lurch who had to walk home, those school learners who were left stranded. Thank you to everybody who stood together to make sure we got home safely,” he said.