Tighter rules for e-hailing drivers come into effect on Friday

702 and CapeTalk’s Africa Melane speaks with Collen Msibi, Spokesperson for the Department of Transport.

Listen below:

E-hailing drivers will be facing new licensing rules, stricter safety measures, and tougher penalties for non-compliance under new laws set to be gazetted this week.

The penalties for operating illegally will be a fine of around R100,000 or three years in jail.

Drivers will need to apply for official e-hailing licenses, which will specify the areas where drivers are permitted to operate.

For example, if a driver is permitted to operate in Tshwane and they have a client going to Limpopo, they must drop them off and return to their operating area.

“The operating permit must be very specific as to where you are supposed to be operating.”

- Collen Msibi, Spokesperson - Department of Transport

There will also be mandatory criminal record checks for drivers, and all vehicles must be equipped with a panic button.

These changes form part of the National Land Transport Amendment Act, which aims to regulate the sector and ease tensions with the taxi industry.

Many e-hailing drivers have expressed frustration that they are facing stricter rules while taxi operators seem less strictly regulated.

RELATED: 'We are terrorised, extorted, attacked': E-hailing drivers say police, govt have abandoned them

Some listeners say it seems unreasonable to regulate the e-hailing industry, which is a charter service, in the same way that you would regulate the taxi industry.

“This aspect of the regulation seems to be written by the taxi bosses themselves.”

– CapeTalk listener

Msibi argues that we have to take into account what is happening in our country, and there must be laws to manage the situation.

“We've consulted with the operators and the taxi industry in terms of these particular regulations, so we've had to come up with something, and I think to a very large extent they agreed with what we are introducing.”

- Collen Msibi, Spokesperson - Department of Transport

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