WATCH: ‘They are waiting to burn our cars’ – Uber drivers on taxi strikers [VIDEO]

eHailing cars have become collateral damage in the current stand-off between the South African Taxi Council (SANTACO) in the Western Cape and law enforcement in Cape Town.

The strikes have also left commuters stranded and frustrated, with many walking long distances to get home.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Taxi Strike: Buses and E-hailing cars go up in flames

The ongoing taxi strike which SANTACO has threatened will continue until next week Wednesday, 9 August, has given rise to vigilantism as private cars are stoned, with Golden Arrow Bus’s and ehailing vehicles such as Uber and Bolt being burnt.

We spoke to two Cape Town Uber drivers – ‘Simba’ and Yves Muhirwa – about the ongoing strikes and how it has affected their business and more importantly, their personal safety. Watch:

The City of Cape Town released a statement on Friday afternoon calling on SANTACO to “immediately stop violence and lawlessness.”

ALSO READ: Mini-bus taxi stay away: Police urge ‘victims’ to report violence

It read further: The strike action is having a severe impact on commuters, as well as City services as some employees cannot get to work, nor attend to service requests in volatile areas.

Thousands of people are stranded due to sustained attacks on other public transport services, with incidents of stoning of private vehicles and blockading of major routes. Several City facilities located in volatile areas have been closed until further notice, in the interest of the safety of staff, and to prevent vandalism and attacks on the infrastructure.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Taxi Strike left thousands stranded [VIDEO]

The City and the Western Cape Government are gathering evidence of damage to infrastructure and incitement of public violence and will not hesitate to approach the courts for relief, including a civil claim for damages. Read more here about the impact on City services.

The current taxi strikes in Cape Town, now in their third day, are caused by a number of factors, including:

ALSO READ: WATCH: N2 blocked, violence erupts in Western Cape taxi strike

• A new by-law that gives the City of Cape Town the power to impound vehicles that are not licensed or that are violating traffic laws. Taxi operators are concerned that this by-law will be used to target them unfairly, and they have threatened to continue the strike until the by-law is repealed.
• The failure of the City of Cape Town and the taxi industry to reach an agreement on a number of other issues, including the allocation of new routes and the regulation of fares. These disagreements have been simmering for some time, and the current strike is a sign that the two sides are unable to find common ground.
• The recent shooting of a taxi driver by a traffic officer. This incident has further inflamed tensions between the taxi industry and the City of Cape Town.

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