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E-hailing services in Tshwane came out victorious after the Pretoria high court granted an urgent interdict prohibiting the Tshwane metro police from impounding vehicles due to outstanding operating permits. Afrikaans e-hailing service Wanatu mobilised seven co-applicants including other e-hailing operators such as Uber, Bolt and inDrive to take on the metro police in court. The e-hailing services argued their services and income were at a standstill while the City of Tshwane dealt with a backlog in issuing operating permits. The city cannot punish drivers for a backlog they did not cause. Judith van der Walt, Wanatu CEO The impound led to the newly established Wanatu, launched in October and operating in Pretoria and Centurion, suspending its services from February 5. Wanatu proved to the court it was “impossible” to obtain permits as the department of roads and transport halted the acceptance and processing of permit applications, CEO Judith van der Walt said. “This is a victory for every e-hailing driver in Tshwane. The city cannot punish drivers for a backlog they did not cause. I am relieved and overwhelmed that Wanatu is back on the road,” she said. “Wanatu is committed to complying with all regulations. This is why we are fighting for Wanatu and the rights of the e-hailing drivers who stood with us.” The Tshwane West E-hailing Association, which joined the legal action, said members would resume operating immediately. Its president Wandisile Rala told TimesLIVE they were pleased to get back on the road to earn an income for their families. “I am happy we won the case and we did this, working together, as we had a common enemy. We are about to meet all the members and after that we are opening our apps and will continue operating immediately,” he said. Wanatu will now proceed with a full court application to compel the Gauteng department of roads and transport to process the outstanding permit applications. |
