Three cars were torched in Sandton Thursday evening in a suspected protest between metered taxi drivers and Uber.
According to provincial spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo, preliminary investigations showed two of the cars belonged to Uber, and the third was a metered taxi. No one was harmed.
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Images and videos of the incident poured onto Twitter as #Uber hit top trending spot nationally.
.@TimesLIVE richest square km in Africa (Sandton) is burning as metered and uber drivers set each others vehicles alight pic.twitter.com/GtpJw9FKSV
— Graeme Hosken (@GraemeHosken) September 7, 2017
Sitting in Sandton watching the chaos.Getting ugly. #uber drivers fighting back.chased away all metre taxi drivers from Sandton @tumisolepic.twitter.com/cohTqxDY6E
— Yusuf Peer (@YusufPeer1) September 7, 2017
Uber has called the situation “unacceptable.”
The tension between metered taxis and the app has been growing for months. Taxi associations have called the app illegal, claiming uncompetitive pricing and a lack of driver permits.
In July, Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi confirmed government was considering including e-hailing services in the National Land Transport Act. The announcement came after an Uber driver died from wounds inflicted by metered taxi drivers.
Another #Uber car up in flames on Maude street, Sandton. pic.twitter.com/beKtZEjhAk
— William Ponto II (@RikhotsoTiyani) September 7, 2017
.@TimesLIVE uber drivers confront police at the scene where metered taxi drivers petrol bombed their cars outside Sandton Gautrain station pic.twitter.com/p3Zr10x0SM
— Graeme Hosken (@GraemeHosken) September 7, 2017
South Africans took to Twitter to offer their support for Uber drivers, who they believe offer a better product.
Dear Meter taxis
I won’t pay R150 for a dirty Cressida and your crappy service.
Wedon’t want you Regards,
Progressive SAns #Uber— Mr CEO (@thulani_11) September 8, 2017
Imagine Pick’n Pay set-alight all the Shoprite outlets just for their pricing strategy / Greyhound fighting InterCape over pricing #Uber
— Pedestal (@pilustos) September 7, 2017
These metered taxi drivers are thugs. Resistant to change and progress. #uber
— Mazola J. Molefe (@superjourno) September 7, 2017
Dear Metered Taxis, even without uber,
WE WON’T USE YOU! You are expensive, entitled thugs! #Uber — Rategang Moroke (@Rategang_M) September 7, 2017
Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba said that what happened Thursday night was “outside [his] direct jurisdiction”, but many were unimpressed with the response.
The Uber/Meter taxi matter is unfortunately outside my direct jurisdiction. We hope the Provincial structures will appropriately handle
— Herman Mashaba (@HermanMashaba) September 7, 2017
A whole Mayor?
pic.twitter.com/Bm2S83kjX2 — Papi (@Kay31stcentury) September 7, 2017
No excuses this time, you must take action and show leadership. Buildings can’t be the only important thing to U, people’s lives are at risk
— IG: Tshepzn3301 (@mothupi_t) September 8, 2017
Mashaba wasn’t the only politician hit with public scorn — Police Minister Fikile Mbalula tweeted a joke about a cauliflower burger and many thought his timing was insensitive.
Taxi wars (uber issue) ubusy uya joker lana @MbalulaFikile
— Trev_Trevz (@TMfuleni) September 7, 2017
Still waiting for you to arrest the thugs that burning Uber cars
— Lulu (@Slushana_) September 7, 2017
Can you rather focus efforts on arresting metered taxi drivers that petrol bombed Uber cars in Sandton last night? Thank you.
— Real Nuz (@Real_Nuz) September 8, 2017
Featured image: screengrab, Graeme Hosken via Twitter
