E-hailing taxi industry needs tighter controls to combat criminality, says Cele

CAPE TOWN - Police Minister Bheki Cele said that the e-hailing taxi industry needed tighter controls to combat criminality. 

Speaking at an imbizo in Nyanga on Wednesday, he stated that the industry had also been infiltrated by unregistered foreign nationals. 

The comments come after several reports of attacks on female passengers recently. 

Police Minister Bheki Cele told Eyewitness News that the e-hailing taxi industry needed regulation and registered drivers who were traceable when an incident occurred. 

He said it’s not new that e-hailing drivers were being accused of assault.

"It has been there for some time, especially with [the] young, especially students and young ladies. We have picked up several rapes on it. I think it does need some stricter regulation, somewhere, somehow, I think it has very loose regulations."

The minister wants the home affairs and transport departments to intervene and work with e-hailing companies to ensure all drivers are traceable and documented.