The public violence that resulted in the death of an e-hailing driver at Maponya Mall in Soweto has been condemned by Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy and Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa.
This comes after an Uber driver, 27-year-old Siyanda Mthokozisi Mvelase, was shot and killed while two other e-hailing drivers were injured.
Gauteng police spokesperson, Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, said an e-hailing vehicle stopped at the mall entrance and about four men approached it and shot the driver before torching the vehicle.
Nevhuhulwi said the suspects shot at another nearby vehicle, but the driver managed to flee the scene.
Creecy and Hlengwa said in a joint statement on Thursday that the “criminal behaviour” that led to the killing of the driver “has no place in the public transport sector, and that those responsible must face the full might of the law”.
“The National Department of Transport is addressing the entirety of the challenges affecting the public transport system. Central to the issues addressed is the persistent violence across the system,” the ministers said.
In a meeting held on April 25, Creecy and the taxi industry leadership unanimously denounced violence in the industry.
“The meeting also agreed on the formation of a task team between the National and Gauteng Provincial Departments of Transport to fast-track the process of digitisation of the issuing of operating licences to resolve route encroachments in the taxi industry, which is the main cause of taxi violence,” Creecy and Hlengwa said.
“The taxi industry leadership was also requested to reflect on this matter and make tangible proposals to government on the way forward.”
The ministers said the National Department of Transport was also currently implementing the National Land Transport Information System, which will ensure operating licences are linked to its eNATIS system to eliminate the unlawful use of one operating licence for more than one taxi vehicle.
In addition, the National Land Transport Amendment Act and the Transport Appeal Tribunal Amendment Act were signed into law by the President on June 11, 2024.
“The regulations have been approved, and are now awaiting the second official language translation for gazetting and implementation of the Amendment Act. This will usher in a new era in the regulation of the e-hailing services,” Creecy and Hlengwa said.
