Taxi drivers’ fight is with the government, not Uber
While the metered taxi drivers are in favour of the state using force against their competitors, they do not enjoy falling victim to that force
On March 10, the metered taxi drivers took to the streets of Johannesburg and severely impacted traffic to and from OR Tambo International Airport. They were protesting the ride-hailing app Uber which they say is "stealing their jobs". They state they had exhausted all avenues as their appeals for government to use force, failed; it was, therefore, time for them to take matters into their own hands and use their own force instead to prevent voluntary trade between Uber and its customers. The government started to regulate metered taxi prices shortly after the 2010 World Cup when they imposed a fee of R15/km and this regulation has never been repealed. Seeing an opportunity in the market, Uber moved in, and the metered taxi drivers are upset because Uber can provide a better, cheaper and more easily accessible service than they can. While the taxi drivers are in favour of government using force against their competitors, they do not enjoy falling victim to that force. Sadly, this is ...
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