WORLDWIDE TAXI FOCUS from South Africa
DEADLY FEUD BETWEEN TAXI AND E-HAILING DRIVERS LEAVES ONE DEAD
A brutal conflict bet- ween minibus oper- ators and e-hailing drivers has escalated in Soweto, resulting in the death of a 27-year-old Uber driver and the torching of two cars. The violence, which saw an e- hailing driver ambushed and killed and a minibus burned in retaliation, has prompted outrage from community members and government officials. The victim, Siyanda Mvelase, was killed on the night of August 13, at the entrance of Maponya Mall. His aunt shared that Mvelase had bought his car just two weeks prior and had only been working as an Uber driver for two days. According to police, four gunmen approached Mvelase’s car, opened fire, and then set the vehicle ablaze. A second e-hailing car was also shot at and torched, with the driver managing to escape. A passerby and the second driver sustained gunshot wounds and were hospitalised. The violence quickly escalated on Thursday morning when angry local residents retaliated by setting a minibus taxi on fire near the mall. The deadly clashes are believed to be linked to long-standing tensions over competition for passengers and routes. The South African National Taxi Council has called on the government to speed up the implementation of new regulations, with a SANTACO spokesperson stating that a “regulatory vacuum” has created an unchecked influx of unlicensed e-hailing operators, leading to “hijackings, abductions, and violent crimes linked to the sector.”
COMMUNITY OUTRAGED AFTER CHILD SEEN DRIVING TAXI FULL OF PUPILS
A video showing a child in a school uniform driving a taxi full of students has sparked outrage and calls for accountability in Pietermaritzburg. The footage, recorded by a concerned citizen on her way to work, shows the boy dropping off pupils at Silver Heights
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Secondary School in Northdale. The video has prompted the local Department of Transport to launch an investigation. According to the witness, who followed the taxi, the driver moved from the passenger seat to the driver’s seat after they stopped, and the boy moved to the passenger seat. “The combi was full of pupils, and they did not even seem nervous or scared with the child driving, so this seems like it’s been going on for some time,” she said. The DoT stated there will be “severe consequences for the owner of the taxi for allowing an underage, unlicensed driver to transport pupils.” SANTACO has also condemned the incident, with provincial office manager Sifiso Shangase calling for a “swift investigation.” Shangase stated: “This act endangers the lives of the pupils in the taxi and those of other road users - this is gambling with lives.”
from Spain
MADRID TAXI DRIVERS TO FACE NEW EDUCATION AND TECH RULES
Madrid is over-hauling its taxi regulations with a focus on modernisation, professionalism, and accessibility. The new rules will require aspiring drivers to have a high school education and rely on mandatory GPS technology instead of memorising city streets. A key change is that new applicants must prove they have completed their ESO, or compulsory secondary education. City officials state this move is designed to “boost standards,” signalling an end to the era of the “old-fashioned, streetwise taxi drivers.” At the same time, the city is dropping the traditional municipal test that required drivers to know the city’s complex street network by heart. This change is being made possible because all 15,000+ taxis in Madrid will now be required to have a GPS system, providing “pinpoint accuracy” for both drivers and passengers. The new regulations also aim to make the service more accessible. The city council is setting a new target to increase the number of WAV “eurotaxis” from just over 2% to a minimum of 5% of the fleet. New licences will be issued exclusively for these vehicles. As an added incentive, these eurotaxis will be allowed to operate seven days a week - while regular cabs will still be limited to five days - a perk also extended to 100% electric cabs under ten years old.
SEPTEMBER 2025 PHTM
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