South Africa's taxi drivers block roads to main airport

Taxi drivers in South Africa on Friday b locked roads to Johannesburg’s airport, holding up thousands of travellers in a protest against transport app Uber.

The Taxi drivers said Uber’s threat and intimidation against their “driver partners” who are using their services to boost their income is unacceptable.

“Today’s [Friday] protest only underlines why people are increasingly choosing safe, reliable alternatives like Uber,” Uber S.A spokesperson Samantha Allenberg told News24.

Hundreds of taxi drivers blocked the main highway to Africa’s busiest airport, Tambo international, Johannesburg causing long traffic jams.

A spokesman for the metered taxi business in Gauteng province, Reuben Mzayiya said Uber is illegal.
“If you want to operate, you must register with the department of transport and fulfil all the requirements. Uber doesn’t do all those things,” he added.

Spokeswoman Refentse Shinners said Friday’s protest has prompted the South African imports operator, ACSA, to begin talks with airlines about possible flight delays.

“We are currently negotiating with our airline partners to see how we can accommodate them,” Shinners said.“We cannot as yet make any guarantees in terms of those arrangements,” she said.

South African taxis block roads to main airport in #Uber protest #Johannesburg… https://t.co/Q3vcgneZFc pic.twitter.com/YfaCblqyOG

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Uber has attracted more than 500,000 users and 4,000 drivers across South Africa since its 2013 launch.