Pretoria Ehailing Association members marched to the Department of Transport on Tuesday demanding that the City of Tshwane Metro Police and the National Traffic Board must stop impounding their cars and must instead give them permits to do their job.
The association’s president Wanda Rala told Tshwane Talks during the march that their cars as Ehailing drivers are impounded because they don’t have permits, but when they apply for the said permits the Department’s officials tell them that they no longer issue permits.
Rala said this makes it impossible for them to have permits and do their job.
“Upon impounding our cars, the department charges us R6000 in order to get our cars back and with the challenges that we have at the moment as Ehailing drivers’ life becomes difficult and we are unable to make ends meet,” he said.
“Our challenges include the high cost of petrol, Uber drivers, bolt and hijackings and on top of that the municipality is suppressing us by denying us permits to work,” said Rala.
“We are here at the department’s offices to ask the Department of Transport to give us permits so that we can comply and be able to do our jobs as Ehailing drivers because without those permits how are we going to be able to make a living?” lamented Rala.
“This is the only way we can support our families and some of our members have degree qualifications but can’t find jobs, so we are asking the department to stop impounding our cars and give us permits,” he said.
The association’s secretary known as Mlungisi Ngulube told Tshwane Talks that it is unfortunate that one of the department’s officials told them that their memorandum might be torn to shreds and this is frustrating because jobs are scarce in South Africa and Ehailing has employed even the unemployed graduates as the government has dismally failed to do so,” he said.
“Some of us have permits but we still get arrested, and our cars get impounded,” he said.
“I am a victim because I have been arrested and been to court four times and on each occasion, I have paid R6000 to get my car back and this is clear exploitation by the municipality on us Ehailing drivers,” said Mlungisi.
“Count R6000 times four and you can see that the City of Tshwane has made a lot of money at my expense and what are my kids going to eat,” he asked.
“We are on our own here and the government isn’t playing the ball and we are frustrated people and fathers of families who have to also feed our grannies and does the government want us to go back to the streets, commit crimes and be a burden to it?” fumed Mlungisi.
“This is the government that we have voted for but what is it doing for the people?” he asked.
Their memorandum was received by the department’s official Lesiba Manamela, who promised to response to their memorandum and will respond in 14 days.