Metered taxi drivers tried to block Uber partner-drivers outside Johannesburg’s Park Station on Thursday morning.
Twitter users on Thursday morning started reporting about the incidents, which occurred outside the train station in the city’s CBD.
Reports on Twitter indicated that metered taxi drivers started blocking Uber partner-drivers’ access to the station on Wednesday this week already.
One Twitter user wrote on Thursday morning: “The cab drivers at Park Station are actively stopping the @Uber_RSA drivers from entering @TheGautrain drop-off zone.”
Johannesburg metro police department spokesman Wayne Minnaar said on Thursday morning that he was unaware of the incidents.
But it is understood that a small number of metered taxi drivers were involved in attempting to block Uber partner-drivers and that the South African Police Service has attended to the dispute. Uber has also confirmed the incidents.
“This intimidation, caused by a small number of metered taxi drivers, only underlies why people are increasingly choosing safe, reliable alternatives like Uber,” Uber spokeswoman Samantha Allenberg said.
“Drivers have access to a security number should they feel unsafe in anyway,”said Allenberg.
This is just the latest incident involving intimidation of Uber partner drivers this year.
Last week Friday, metered taxi drivers reportedly attempted to close off the road to Cape Town International Airport and force passengers out of Uber cars.
Last month, metered taxi drivers stoned two Uber cars and two metro police vehicles outside Sandton’s Gautrain station in Johannesburg in an attack that left three officers injured.
The Sandton Gautrain incident came shortly after metered taxi drivers reportedly attempted to attack Gauteng transport MEC Ismail Vadi in the Johannesburg CBD after he announced licensing for Uber in the province.