Mediator appointed in long-standing dispute causing friction on roads
“This disagreement has led to a strike which ended up disrupting traffic flow in Johannesburg and surrounding areas.”
An advocate has been appointed as mediator to assist in resolving the dispute between e-hailing services companies, Uber and Bolt and their driver partners.
The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has appointed Jenine Khan to lead the negotiations between the two companies and their partner drivers.
MEC for public transport and roads infrastructure Jacob Mamabolo said Khan was “a reputable advocate specialising in civil litigation, with an interest in alternative dispute resolution”.
Khan’s appointment follows numerous meetings between e-hailing services companies and their driver partners, in an effort to resolve a long-standing dispute over the terms of their employment.
“This disagreement has led to a strike which ended up disrupting traffic flow in Johannesburg and surrounding areas,” said Mamabolo.
“Due to the complexity of the mediation and negotiations, all parties involved agreed that a professionally trained, credible and qualified dispute resolution practitioner should deal with the matter.”
He said Khan would hand over a report to the department aimed at a resolution.
“The mediator is further tasked with ensuring peace and stability between the metered-taxi industry and e-hailing operators.”
He said Khan would be expected to engage with metered-taxi operators to ensure their issues were also attended to and that there was harmony in operations along with the e-hailing service.
“I am confident that Advocate Khan is the right person for this important task. She comes with the requisite skills and experience that we believe should help us move the process forward.
“As the department, we will give her all the support and we urge all parties to do the same in assisting her in the work she will be undertaking,” said Mamabolo.
He said the department had prioritised negotiations and engagements as a preferred mechanisms of dispute resolution and, therefore discouraged the use of violence and lawlessness.
“The e-hailing industry is an important mode in the public transport mix, and as such, the provincial government has taken a direct interest in the resolution of these and related issues.”
Mamabolo said the roads and transport department would continue to call all stakeholders to follow the principle of negotiation when trying to resolve problems.
The appointment also follows a protest march to the transport department’s offices in Struben Street, Pretoria Central, calling for better services, in March.
The protesters demanded government intervene because they believed e-hailing companies were not doing enough to protect against hijacking and robberies, losses of vehicles due to payment issues and even the deaths of drivers due to violence and crime.
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