Phoenix Taxi Turf War: E-Hailing Drivers Complain about Assault, Extortion and Kangaroo Court–Style Justice

An apparent turf war has escalated tensions between members of the Phoenix taxi association and e-hailing services drivers.

E-hailing drivers claimed they were often subjected to kangaroo court justice administered by local taxi association operatives, which typically involved exorbitant fines or violent assault.

The latest alleged incident of assault occurred on Saturday when a driver attempted to drop off a passenger at the Phoenix Plaza shopping mall. It is believed that the Bolt driver was attacked by three taxi association members, a claim confirmed by Sipho Mabika, chairperson of the e-hailing council in KwaZulu-Natal.

Following the attack, the taxi association reportedly confiscated the driver’s vehicle and demanded a R5,000 fee for its release.

Mabika said attempts to resolve the matter with the police were frustrated when the station commander was not present. He added that similar incidents previously reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS) had also been met with limited cooperation, causing significant frustration among e-hailing drivers.

“This is not the first incident reported by our members at this police station,” Mabika said.

He explained that the core issue was the unfair prohibition of e-hailing drivers from operating within the Phoenix Plaza precinct, despite having legitimate permits to do so.

“We need this resolved. We can’t be bullied into leaving a public space that we are legally allowed to operate in,” Mabika stated.

The situation has drawn the attention of authorities. KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, condemned the alleged assault, extortion, and intimidation directed at the Bolt driver. Duma said the provincial government was committed to ensuring the safety of all transport operators.

He announced that officials from his department have been deployed to work with the police to prevent further incidents and restore stability in the area.

“There should be no ‘no-go zones’ for e-hailing drivers in KZN, and attacks on them will not be tolerated,” Duma said.

As part of an integrated response, Duma revealed plans to foster better relations between e-hailing drivers and taxi operators to achieve a long-term peaceful resolution in the public transport sector.

“A dedicated team has been assigned to improve relations between e-hailing drivers and taxi operators, strengthen traffic law enforcement, and ensure proper implementation of e-hailing regulations,” he explained.

Community members have also expressed fear and frustration over the tensions between e-hailing services and the taxi association.

Sorisha Govender, a local resident, recounted her own troubling experiences. She said intimidation from taxi association members was common when requesting rides for herself and her family.

“They threatened me and my 7-year-old daughter, forcing us to use their unregistered vehicles that overcharged us,” Govender said. “This is unacceptable, and I’m calling for accountability and change.”

Another e-hailing user, Sanelisiwe Ngcobo, shared concerns about the safety of drivers after witnessing a Bolt driver being threatened during a drop-off.

“They jumped into his front seat, ordered him to drive, and then demanded R5,000. I became emotional seeing how traumatized the driver was by the whole encounter,” Ngcobo said.

Attempts to obtain a response from the Phoenix taxi association were unsuccessful at the time of publication.

DAILY NEWS