Pretoria- E-hailing drivers affiliated with Uber have staged a protest on the busy M1 highway in Joburg, driving their rented cars slowly causing major traffic delays on Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking to IOL, Johannesburg metro police (JMPD) spokesperson Xolani Fihla said the action caused heavy delays in Sandton and the drivers have now proceeded to Fourways.
“Because they are moving, it’s hard to keep track, the last time I checked they were still on the M1 north heading to Fourways,” Fihla said.
Avoid Design Quarter as well; Uber drivers striking against Toyota. There's a backlog of traffic from the mall to the exit, but the boomgate is barricaded. Cops trying to negotiate. https://t.co/uGr9Mc0M3c
— News flash buddy! (@__neothin) March 15, 2023
Details around the protest are unclear, however, Uber spokesperson Zweli Ngwenya dismissed reports that the protest involves its drivers despite the Toyota Agya’s which operate mainly on Uber being identifiable.
Ngwenya told TimesLive that the drivers were affiliated with Moove, an Uber partner which rents vehicles to Uber registered drivers to drive and earn on the Uber platform.
“The [protesting] drivers are drivers who are affiliated to the Moove contract giving out rental cars,” he told Timeslive.
IOL reached out to one of the protests organisers, but she said she was unable to immediately comment on the matter.
JHB -Sandton: Uber Strike https://t.co/qeLijORI3l
— TrafficSA (@TrafficSA) March 15, 2023
#AVOID M1 North before Woodmead. Protest action. Earlier they were near Marlboro drive - where bowling goes into Katherine, they barricaded the road and are burning tyres. pic.twitter.com/SpDj8olSkD
— Cliff - That's All (@PigSpotter) March 15, 2023
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