Latest news with #SibongiseniShange

The Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald
'Urgent, decisive action' being taken after deadly e-hailing attack: Creecy
Meanwhile, the South African Metered Taxi and E-Hailing Association (Samtea) in Gauteng has also condemned the incident. The association has welcomed the MEC for roads and transport's crisis committee, which it said brings together all stakeholders in the public transport value chain. 'This inclusive platform is vital to restoring peace, clarity and stability in the sector,' said Samtea chair Sibongiseni Shange. Explaining the structure, Shange said Santaco was the apex council representing all public transport modes — minibus taxis, metered taxis, e-hailing, and scholar and cross-border transport — under one constitution aligned with the supreme law. He said SAMTEA represents metered taxi and e-hailing operators within this framework. 'We caution that actions by individual operators — legal or illegal — can distort public perceptions, unfairly painting the entire sector as criminal. Criminal syndicates exploit policy gaps, unemployment and exclusionary technologies to infiltrate this essential service,' he said.


Eyewitness News
30-07-2025
- Business
- Eyewitness News
SA Meter Taxi and E-hailing Association, Gauteng E-hailing Services join hands in bid to formalise & regulate sector
JOHANNESBURG - The South African Meter Taxi and E-hailing Association (SAMTEA), alongside the Gauteng E-hailing Services, have joined hands in an effort to formalise and regulate the sector. The associations held a media briefing in Johannesburg on Wednesday, highlighting that the formalisation of the industry could equally protect operators and customers. Dozens of operators have been engaged in protest action in the last few weeks over what they have described as exploitative working conditions. Some operators in the e-hailing industry have taken to the streets in an effort to have several of their issues addressed, including the slashing of fare prices. During the media briefing, the e-hailing structures emphasised the importance of being a recognised and organised sector that complies with the National Land and Transport Act. The chairperson of SAMTEA, Sibongiseni Shange, also stressed that the division which existed in the sector between meter taxis and e-hailing was something they were working on. "As you would know, previously, we were known as enemies. Should I say we were competitors? Because of the disruption of the market, obviously, we would find that other people would have reacted differently. But over time, as we have been engaging and finding each other, over time, we have seen that this not only affected the meter taxis, but it also affected our own drivers." The associations also mentioned they needed operators to be on board with being formalised for the industry to have more protective measures.