Uber SA: ‘Protests only underline why people choose safer alternatives like us’
Alon Lits, GM for Sub Saharan Africa at Uber, has issued an official statement in attempt to bring calm to the ongoing taxi protests.
On Friday (10 March) metered taxi drivers blocked off roads near the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, in protest against the app based taxi service.
“Uber is killing us,” metered taxi driver Abner Mashikinoya told News24. “Uber… came here to kill the industry. We can’t even take our children to school. It’s enough. We are tired and we are angry,” he said.
Mashikinoya said metered taxi drivers were planning to partner with minibus taxi drivers to get government’s attention.
“We are forced to partner with taxis. Government fears them, not us. They do not want to talk to us. They know Uber is illegal but have done nothing about it.”
Similarly, Uber drivers blocked roads around the company’s offices in Parktown North on Friday, also in protest. They have accused the company of not doing anything to address safety issues, following numerous attacks and intimidation.
Lits said in a written statement on Friday: “Our technology is open and pro-choice and we are keen to offer it to a broad number of taxi drivers to boost their chances for profit.
“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.”
“Threats and intimidation against those who want to use Uber to boost their income is unacceptable. Today’s protest only underlines why people are increasingly choosing safe, reliable alternatives like Uber.”
“Safety, reliability, innovation and choice are why the people of Johannesburg are choosing Uber’s world-class digital technology,” he said.
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