Uber recently revealed that, as of Thursday 07 April 2016, the company will be reducing rates on UberX in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban by up to 20%. While this does make the service more attractive to consumers, more than 200 Uber drivers have called for strike action in Cape Town, South Africa over the company’s proposed tariff amendments.
According to a report via EWN.co.za, Uber drivers had stated that the decrease in fares from R7,00 per kilometre to R6,00 per kilometre would essentially affect each driver’s income and put them into competition with the Taxi Industry.
The EWN report revealed that hundreds of Uber cars and drivers converged on a vacant parking area in Green Point to discuss their response to the fair cut. The report further revealed the group has vowed to continue the strike until management agrees to address their demands.
The news of the fair decrease and strike action spilled over onto social media network Twitter… Where the public had a mixed reaction to the news.
Sooooo #Uber drivers are on strike in #CapeTown. How sway, how?
— LazarusMan (@HouseOfLazarus) April 6, 2016
Competition is good for both consumers and the competitors. Service choice at competitive rates. #UberStrike https://t.co/FvdmvmjenV
— Themba Mathebula (@Ithembalami) April 6, 2016
Cape Town Uber drivers threaten to shut down service for 3 days over tariff ammendments #UberStrike
— Natalie Malgas (@nataliemalgas) April 6, 2016
Apparently #Uber drivers are striking because rate per km was dropped without consultation. Action in #Greenpoint. #UberStrike
— Marius Strydom (@Marius_Man) April 6, 2016
Massive #uberfail going down in Cape Town right now. Time for @Uber @Uber_Support to come sort out the mess at @Uber_RSA. #uberstrike
— Steve G (@SteveG_Cpt) April 6, 2016
Management treating the drivers so unfairly and unjustly #UberStrike
— Zikhona Jack (@iZickey) April 6, 2016
Darryl Linington
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