Cape Town - The Western Cape e-hailing Association (WCEA) has embarked on a two-day protest demanding changes be made to drivers’ working conditions to allow for profitable withdrawals.
WCEA secretary Sakhumzi Peters said after failed attempts to engage e-hailing platforms Uber, Bolt and inDriver, the association had settled on staging a two-part protest demonstration to air its grievances about the platforms and the treatment of drivers by the City’s traffic officials.
On Wednesday, as part of the first stage of its protest demonstration, the WCEA executive committee led a convoy to Uber and Bolt offices to physically hand over memorandums on behalf of e-hailing drivers to the facilitators of the e-hailing platforms, giving them 14 days to respond.
Peters said the association had listed in its memorandums the abolishment of upfront pricing and the reinstitution of live distance and time-based pricing systems, the reduction of the company’s commission and the recognition of partnerships through official representatives, among other demands.
“This is not the first time we have staged a protest regarding our working conditions and the impact of these platforms’ unreasonable demands on us. We can no longer sit back and be exploited.
“This time our protest is backed by a stronger force and we believe it will result in the changes we want.
“For these platforms to demand more than 10% in commission is unfair, we are also struggling because of inflation,” Peters said.
In response to the protest, Bolt said it was aware of the association’s grievances and was working to respond accordingly.
Bolt SA manager Takura Malaba said: “Bolt respects every driver’s right to protest, and we appeal to drivers to do so legally, peacefully. Furthermore, we condemn any form of violence directed toward drivers and passengers. We have already taken steps to address the concerns that drivers have shared with us directly.”
“Our commission structure is lower than other similar platforms’ charges. When setting prices, we consider the earning needs of drivers with affordability for passengers.”
Malaba said drivers said one of the reasons they were protesting was because they believed they had to carry the costs of discounts and promotion codes.
“Drivers never pay for discounts, we cover all costs of discounts and promotions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Uber said it had been engaging its drivers directly to work towards addressing the issues they were facing.
Uber spokesperson Mpho Sebelebele said: “We recognise the pressures drivers are under, including the increasing cost of living. It’s important to understand that fares do fluctuate as a normal part of any business.
“We have been open to engaging constructively with the association to find solutions. However, they are not willing to engage with us at this time and have opted to protest. Uber will continue to engage with drivers through official channels.”
nomalanga.tshuma@inl.co.za