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Shesha takes further step to ensure driver, rider safety

Sibahle Malinga
By Sibahle Malinga, ITWeb senior news journalist.
Johannesburg, 13 Aug 2024
Driver and rider safety is paramount, says Shesha.
Driver and rider safety is paramount, says Shesha.

E-hailing service Shesha has appointed regional representatives from the taxi and e-hailing industries to assist e-hailing drivers and commuters who feel intimidated during their journey.

This, after videos on social media show e-hailing drivers from Uber and Bolt allegedly being subjected to violence and intimidation from people purporting to be Shesha e-hailing drivers and South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) community patrollers.

In the videos, the perpetrators are seen allegedly creating illegal roadblocks across Gauteng townships and issuing spot fines of between R3 000 and R3 500 to e-hailing drivers for not having the Shesha sticker on their vehicle, or not using the Shesha mobile app.

During a media conference last week, Portia Keleketu, project manager and MD of Shesha, noted the e-haileris dedicated to providing safe, reliable and legal transportation options for South Africans.

She noted the ride-hailing app upholds the principles of healthy competition and fair business practices.

“We would like to put it on record that these acts are not sanctioned by Shesha. As an independent company whose objectives are to enter the market and grow organically, we have a compelling value proposition for the driver and customers, with safety being paramount.

“We have 12 e-hailing representatives based across our regions within the Gauteng province. We have three representatives per region, in case one is not reachable. They all represent Gauteng E-hailing Services, Santaco Gauteng and the National Taxi Alliance Gauteng.

“They will be able to assist during incidents of violence or intimidation; for example, if a vehicle has been forcefully stopped, any of the regional representatives can be contacted to talk to the perpetrators and try to understand what the issue is,” said Keleketu.

“Sometime drivers may find themselves in an out of bounds/restricted area, where they may be subjected to violence. Our representatives will either be able to assist during such incidents, or escalate the issue to law enforcement. Customers who feel they are being violated for whatever reason can also phone the representatives for assistance.”

The new representative initiative is aimed at creating harmony between e-hailing services and metered taxis, as well as mainstream taxis, which have a history of conflict in South Africa, she added.

“They will provide assistance only to the extent that they are able to do so. If the situation is beyond their control, law enforcement must be alerted. We will ensure we share our regional representatives’ contacts on all social media platforms in order to educate and manage the expectations of all our stakeholders.”

The home-grown app is founded by a consortium of key stakeholders with experience in SA’s transport industry, including the Gauteng National Taxi Association, Santaco and the South African E-hailing Association.

Shesha remains an independent company operating in accordance with its policies and procedures, with no undue influence from its shareholders, Keleketu continued.

“The taxi industry, meter taxi and e-hailing services drivers are our stakeholders and we will persist in our engagements with them in the event of acts of violence and intimidation.”

Commenting on the statements made during Shesha’s media briefing, the E-hailing Partners Council (EPCO) welcomed the e-hailer’s stance on safety.

“Unfortunately, Shesha undermined the position and efforts of EPCO, given how it introduced itself both to the e-hailing industry and the market. After their media briefing on 8 August, we are pleased to see that they are moving away from bullying tactics, undermining the rule of law, discrimination traits, and monopoly and dictatorship tendencies.

“We hope Shesha upholds its recently found values and position.”

EPCO calls upon the Department of Transport and law enforcement authorities to take action against the kind of criminal activities seen recently and to bring perpetrators to book.

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