Gauteng Set to Launch Government-Backed E-Hailing Platform to Boost Commuter Safety
The Gauteng provincial government is preparing to roll out its own e-hailing platform. This move aims to strengthen commuter safety and clamp down on rising crime within the sector.
MEC for Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, confirmed that the province is moving forward with plans. These plans are to establish a government-led e-hailing service following violent attacks targeting drivers.
The announcement comes after the tragic killing of 27-year-old e-hailing driver Siyanda Mthokozisi Mvelase. He was shot and burned at Maponya Mall in Soweto last week. His family was left reeling after Uber, the global e-hailing company, stated it had no record of him as one of its drivers.
Safety at the Core
Diale-Tlabela stressed that the new app will place commuter safety at the forefront. It will also root out criminal elements that have plagued the industry.
“It is now time for a Gauteng-based e-hailing app. Safety and crime have become a huge challenge, especially for young women who fear using unsafe platforms. As government, we have a responsibility to act,” she said.
She noted that while the province is still awaiting a final directive from the national Department of Transport, Gauteng cannot afford to delay. The sector has grown rapidly yet remains largely unregulated.
Tackling Informality and Job Creation
According to the MEC, the initiative will enhance safety and create new opportunities for employment. This is particularly beneficial for young people.
“This platform will be the first of its kind in Gauteng. It will ensure that operators are properly registered and regulated, bringing an end to the ‘free-for-all’ system that currently exists. In doing so, it will also generate jobs for our youth,” Diale-Tlabela added.
Industry Welcomes the Move
The Gauteng E-hailing Services Association welcomed the government’s intervention. The association believes this could help curb the violence and instability that has long plagued the industry.
Chairperson Mpho Hlahla highlighted the urgency of the move:
“We support the MEC’s plan for a government-led platform. The lack of regulation has created space for too many unregistered operators, which has in turn fueled criminal activity. No less than 12 e-hailing drivers have been killed in the province in recent months, with four deaths recorded just this month.”
The new platform is expected to provide both commuters and drivers with safer, regulated transport services. It aims to reduce conflict with other transport stakeholders. It also signals Gauteng’s broader intention to modernise and stabilise the e-hailing sector. This will be achieved through formal structures and stronger oversight.
If successful, the government-backed initiative could mark a turning point. It aims to restore public confidence in e-hailing services. Ensuring that what has become an essential mode of transport is both safe and sustainable.
Related article: E-Hailing Vehicles Torched at Maponya Mall in Fatal Attack
