You Heard it from us

Uber’s technology platform provides Capetonians with a safe, reliable and affordable option to move around their city. Since our launch in September 2013, we’ve received tremendous support from both riders and drivers. For drivers, Uber’s lead generation software facilitates a powerful entrepreneurship opportunity. Drivers earn far more – and with greater flexibility – than any other option available to them.

Regulations that govern transport across South Africa were written before the era of the smartphone. We’re eager to work with regulators so that Uber clearly fits within a licensing category going forward, and have engaged with municipal, provincial and national authorities responsible for the creation of this legislation. In the interim, we’ve chosen to focus our efforts on ensuring customers have access to the most reliable, transparently priced and safest transport option in the cities we operate in, in addition to making sure drivers have increased economic opportunity.

Amidst the recent media speculation, we want to take the opportunity to set the record straight

Uber remains a safe way to get around Cape Town

• You see the driver’s name, photo and car license plate number the moment you request a ride
• You can share your route and estimated time of arrival with friends, who can also follow your ride on a live map
• Every Uber ride has insurance coverage in case anything goes wrong

Uber goes above and beyond the requirements of traditional operators

• Every driver we partner with has a Professional Driver’s Permit (PDP), as do traditional transport operators
• In addition to this PDP, Uber requires all drivers to go through third party criminal background screening, exceeding the requirements of other transport operators
• Up to 20% of drivers that applied to partner with Uber, who have passed the PDP check, did not pass our secondary screening

As a new technology there has been some ambiguity around what is the correct operating license

• All vehicles that provide transport to fare paying passengers require an operating license. For example, metered taxis, point-to-point transfers and minibus taxis all require different operating licences
• The city of Cape Town has stated that Uber partners applying for operating licenses should apply as a “metered taxi,” therefore mandating that Uber partners acquire a metered taxi operating license
• In Uber’s case- innovation is leading regulation. Uber does not neatly fit in the metered taxi category, nor does it fit in any available operating license category at the moment
• Amidst short term confusion, we have been actively working with regulators to develop the right operator category for drivers who want to partner with Uber
• Does an operating license mean that passengers are safer? Absolutely not – the only safety requirement for drivers of public transport vehicles are PDPs – significantly less stringent than Uber’s safety procedures

We are committed to working with the city on a clear route to licensing

Our ultimate goal is and has always been to ensure that every driver is both appropriately licensed, and has a viable means of income. We are confident in our safety and screening procedures when it comes to the drivers we partner with, and are working to ensure that technology like ours has a role in the future of transport in South Africa.

In the meantime, we will continue to stand by and support our riders and partner drivers in Cape Town

Love,

Team Uber Cape Town

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Updated March 17, 2016