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Transport

  • Uber, Snapchat giving custom filters to riders in African markets

    By on 25 May, 2017

    Great news for you antisocial riders who never bother chatting to your Uber drivers. The transportation company has today announced a collaboration with Snapchat, which allows riders to "personalize their riding experience" using a number of custom filters. "Riders will be able to have a little extra fun by unlocking custom Snapchat filters so they can Snap while they ride," the press release continues. These custom filters include ETA filters, a number of custom Uber ride filters and a mystery filter for an "added surprise". 'Riders will be able to have a little extra fun by unlocking custom Snapchat filters so they can...

  • Uber’s ‘route-based pricing’ system is charging riders more for popular routes

    By on 22 May, 2017

    Uber is charging riders in 14 US cities more for taking popular routes, reports from Bloomberg and Business Insider have found. The majority of UberX's trips are priced on mileage, time and general demand in the area, but some guinea pigs in areas with its carpooling service UberPOOL have found they are being charged more for specific routes. Uber has confirmed this silent test, dubbed 'route-based pricing', claiming that it's separating time-sensitive users (those who use UberX) and price-sensitive users (UberPOOL riders). Whereas the former willingly choose to pay higher rates for private rides directly to their destination, the latter are more concerned with cheaper...

  • #SAAStrike: 32 flights grounded as SAA trends once again

    By on 26 April, 2017

    If you're travelling to or from South Africa today on a South African Airways (SAA) flight, you're one of the lucky few it seems. The majority of the national airline's in-flight staff are on strike today, demanding more money to spend on food when flying abroad. According to reports, SAA and the association that represents the SAA cabin workers, SACCA, were not able to come to an agreement Tuesday night. The impact of this is widespread. 32 flights have been cancelled today -- one international, three regional and 28 due to depart and land within South Africa's borders. As a result, passengers have...

  • [Update] Uber passengers ‘threatened’ at Centurion Gautrain station

    By on 25 April, 2017

    Update, 11.40am: In light of the incidents in Sandton and Centurion and a request for comment, Uber South Africa explains that it is "engaging with all relevant stakeholders and are taking all of the necessary steps to ensure riders" are safe around Johannesburg. Read the full statement below. We take any situation where driver safety is compromised extremely seriously. Driver-partners have access to a 24/7 emergency line in the event they feel unsafe in any way. Threats and intimidation against those who want to use Uber to boost their income is unacceptable. Violence only underlines why people are increasingly choosing safe, reliable...

  • Twitter mourns victims of Bronkhorstspruit taxi crash

    By on 21 April, 2017

    A crash near Bronkhorstspruit, Gauteng has today claimed the lives of at least 20, most of whom were children. The incident, which involved a collision between a truck and a taxi, took place Friday afternoon It was first reported by ER24 EMS via its Twitter account, and quickly spread to major news outlets across South Africa. - Fatalities on the R25 collision has risen to 17 children. @ewnupdates @eNCA @_ArriveAlive @JacaNews @SABCNewsroom pic.twitter.com/AumRsLrjFC — ER24 EMS (Pty) Ltd. (@ER24EMS) April 21, 2017 "Approximately 13 children had been killed and several other injured this afternoon when a taxi and truck collided head-od on...

  • #BusStrike: slew of commuters left stranded across South Africa

    By on 12 April, 2017

    If you logged in to Twitter or Facebook this morning, you probably would've noticed the hashtag #BusStrike trending across South Africa. Employees of the country's larger bus operators are partaking in strike action today, that is until demands for a 12% wage increase are met. The strike has left a number of commuters across the country's urban and rural hubs stranded or searching for alternative transport, as a slew of popular services were suspended. This includes Cape Town's MyCiti and Johannesburg's Rea Vaya. The #BusStrike affects a number of services across South Africa, including Cape Town and Johannesburg's inner city networks As a...

  • This is what happens when a pelican strikes a Mango Boeing 737 mid-air

    By on 11 April, 2017

    What happens when a large bird strikes a commercial passenger plane? That's the question pilots and passengers onboard a Mango flight from Cape Town International answered this weekend. According to reports, a Mango-operated Boeing 737 passenger plane struck a pelican shortly after departure from the Western Cape's largest airport. The impact left a massive dent in the plane's left-hand side horizontal stabiliser. The stabiliser (part of the tail section) is largely employed to provide stability and tail lift as the plane travels through the air. #birdstrike on @FlyMangoSA flight out of @capetownint this afternoon. Poor pelican didn't make it pic.twitter.com/jGYKjWPRks — Derek Smith...

  • Uber banned in Italy due to ‘unfair competition’

    By on 10 April, 2017

    Uber has been deemed "unfair competition" and is barred from operating in Italy, a Rome judge ruled Friday. The company is not able to use its Black, Lux, Suv, X , XL, Select, and Van cars in the country, nor is it allowed to advertise its services. Conflict between Uber and Italian taxi services turned legal in 2015, when locals argued that they are unable to compete with the app. "This is the fourth ruling by an Italian judge that ascertains Uber’s unfair competition," lawyers for Italy's top taxi association said in a statement to Corriere della Sera. " the latest battle in a legal war that began...

  • Transnet debuts first locomotive designed and made in South Africa

    By on 4 April, 2017

    South Africa's first locally engineered locomotive has today been unveiled in Pretoria. The Trans African Locomotive, or TAL2001, "is the first ever train that has been designed, engineered and manufactured locally by the State-Owned Entity, Transnet, which will serve the African continent," the SA government writes in a press release. Launch of @TE_Transnet African locomotive TAL2001 pic.twitter.com/RR9ao4hPvs — Railways Africa (@RailwaysAfrica) April 4, 2017 Government officials including President Jacob Zuma and Minister of Public Enterprises Lynne Brown launched the locomotive, and also hitched a ride on it at its launch in Pretoria on Tuesday. President Zuma and Minister Brown boarding for a maiden trip...

  • Uber psychologically manipulates drivers like it’s a game, report reveals

    By on 4 April, 2017

    Last month Uber CEO Travis Kalanick was caught on video arguing with a driver about fares. The driver complained that he was bankrupt because of the app; Kalanick told him it was his own fault. The company has since apologised for this misstep, and noted that it needs leadership help. In a press conference to discuss its relationship with drivers -- as well as the sexism that pervades the institution -- head of US and Canada business Rachel Holt assured that the most important change is its relationship with its drivers. "Drivers are at the center of the Uber experience, and...

  • Large electronics banned on some Middle East, African flights to US

    By on 22 March, 2017

    The US has banned all passengers travelling from eight Muslim-majority countries from bringing carry-on devices larger than a smartphone. This includes laptops, tablets, e-readers, and portable gaming devices. Passengers who wish to travel with their electronics would need to put them in their checked baggage -- putting the devices at risk of theft or even snooping from the US government. Selected airports in Jordan , Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have been affected. None of these countries were affected by Trump's proposed travel ban. According to The Verge, no rationale was given for the ban. Neither the US Transportation Security...

  • Cape Town wants you to work from home (or take a bus) to reduce congestion

    By on 22 March, 2017

    The City of Cape Town would much prefer you working from home, or thinking twice about those nine-to-five slogs. This after the City revealed a work-in-progress strategy for reducing traffic congestion in Cape Town. According to an EWN report, the strategy will debut in front of council next week, and should include interesting proposals like a boost to public transport, parking perks that privilege irregular parking hours, and carpooling. More interestingly though, the City also wants employers to introduce flexible working hours, or a reduced work week. You can now smile a little wider. Perhaps working from home is the solution to...

  • Uber announces big plans, promises transformation with no ‘brilliant jerks’

    By on 22 March, 2017

    Uber held a press conference yesterday to discuss the specific changes it will be making after months of scandals. These changes include new leadership, diversity training, and a focus on drivers' needs and complaints. Board member Ariana Huffington spoke first about the backlash Uber received after former engineer Susan Fowler Rigetti revealed the institutional sexism of the company. "I have two daughters who are young adults, just starting out in their careers," Huffington said. "I want to make sure that the company that we build at Uber reflects the best of anything in the workplace. So that no woman ever has to choose between...

  • Uber’s selfie security system arrives in South Africa

    By on 22 March, 2017

    Transportation service Uber might've changed the way many travel about in South Africa, but it's also changing the way we use selfies. The company today announced a new security measure called Real-Time ID Check, which will require its drivers to occasionally send a selfie to Uber for verification purposes. The company then compares the picture sent to records of the driver, to allow said driver to operate the app. "This prevents fraud and protects drivers’ accounts from being compromised," the company writes on its official blog. "It also protects riders by building another layer of accountability into the app to ensure the...

  • Uber president Jeff Jones quits after nightmarish six months

    By on 20 March, 2017

    Uber president Jeff Jones is leaving the company after just six months on the job. While CEO Travis Kalanick is blaming his search for a COO as the reason Jones quit, the president told Recode that "that the beliefs and approach to leadership that have guided career are inconsistent with what saw and experienced at Uber." Jeff Jones worked as the CMO of retail giant Target before making the move to Uber in October 2016. While he was there, Jones spent a lot of his time talking to drivers to decipher the ride-sharing company's next move. He believed that the...