An e-hailing driver who was assaulted at the Maponya Mall in Soweto last night, says he’s lucky to be alive following the torching of three vehicles, the robbing, assault and shooting of drivers by a gang of minibus taxi drivers.
Three men who suffered injuries were taken to a local hospital. The victim, who requested anonymity, said he was forced out of his car and assaulted.
“I was driving out of the mall. I saw six men approaching my car while I was talking on the phone then they took my phone. They demanded I get out of the car. I refused, they started searching me and asking for money, they then took R1 600, the wallet and the car keys,” he said.
He said at this point he managed to escape from the aggressors that he alleged could be members of a local taxi association.
“I then ran away when I looked back they went after another Uber driver who was in an Almera.”
“I don’t know them (the gang) , But members of STS (local taxi association) have threatened us and told us we shouldn’t drive in the mall to pick up our clients.”
He said it was for the first time he experienced the ordeal since he started as the Bolt driver two years ago but he is not sure he will continue working for the e-hailing business.
Bolt Regional Manager, East and Southern Africa Takura Malaba said Bolt has currently suspended certain customer pick-up and drop-off points at the Maponya Mall to ensure that drivers and passengers are safe while they assess the situation.
Malaba said he has also ensured that these changes are communicated to their drivers and have also escalated the issue with the management of Maponya Mall and also with the SAPS including Crime Intelligence in order to ensure that the matter is closely monitored and to support the criminal investigations currently underway, he said in a statement.
“Bolt condemns criminal conduct and violence of any form directed towards ride-hailing drivers because it believes that everyone has the right to earn a living and move around without risk of harm, intimidation, coercion, or fear of death or injury. It is important to note that Bolt does not compete with minibus taxis, public transport has multiple modes, and Bolt acts as an important component of multimodal transport and is an important option available for passengers,” he said.
Another e-hailing company Uber said it was shocked and deeply saddened by the violence.
“We take any incident of this nature very seriously and our safety team is investigating these incidents as a matter of urgency. We are in close contact with the police and stand ready to help law enforcement with their investigation.”
The Gauteng Police Spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo said they were investigating the matter but could not at this stage confirm the identity of the victims and whether they are indeed e-hailing drivers pending an investigation.
The police maintain a presence in that area to ensure stability and safety of the commuters.
