Checkers Sixty60 and Uber driver crackdown looms in South Africa
South Africa could soon see a crackdown on on-demand delivery and ride-hailing drivers in the country, with Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhozana Meth saying her department plans to target high-risk sectors.
This was revealed in her response to parliamentary questions from IFP MP Liezl van der Merwe, who asked if the department would clamp down on these sectors as it has on illegal restaurant employment.
For reference, the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Employment and Labour, in partnership with law enforcement, have been raiding restaurants nationwide to identify and remove illegally employed foreigners.
“High-impact and joined blitz inspections take place at least once every quarter. These inspections are risk-based,” said Meth.
“The next such inspections will take place around November/December. High-risk and problematic sectors would be targeted in this regard.”
The on-demand delivery and ride-hailing sectors could be prime targets, as many of their riders aren’t local, and ongoing fraud at Home Affairs means illegal foreigners can get South African documents.
Motorcycle Safety Institute of South Africa founder Hein Jonker recently raised concerns over delivery rider training and whether some are legally licensed to ride on the country’s roads.
“Some of these riders are not local, they’re foreign riders, and in other African countries, they may not have gone through a motorcycle licence test or any motorcycle training; they’ve learnt from their friends,” said Jonker.
“In some countries in Africa, if you go for a motorcar licence, anything below that vehicle class you are licensed to ride, be that a scooter or a motorcycle.”
“That doesn’t mean that they’ve gone through a physical test. No, they come to this country with a licence that includes a motorcycle licence and off they go,” he added.
Not only does this take jobs away from South African citizens and those legally qualified to work in the country, but poor road behaviour from such drivers can cause chaos on the country’s roads.
Jonker suggested that one way to get non-legal riders off South African roads would be for law enforcement to set up more roadblocks to verify delivery rider licences.
In addition to some foreign drivers not holding valid South African licences, the pressure of the job can also add to poor road behaviour from drivers.
Fast food and grocery delivery drivers are pressured to complete deliveries as quickly as possible to maximise earnings, and some platforms offer delivery guarantees, adding to the pressure.
“If you put a person under pressure that might not have been riding a motorcycle where he or she comes from under that kind of pressure, something’s got to give,” said Jonker.
He added that many riders forgo safety measures like securing their helmets correctly in high-pressure situations.
“Do they take chances through traffic? Yes, they do. So, something gives and when something gives, risk is increased dramatically and then you see things go wrong in traffic,” said Jonker.
Regarding motorcycle-specific training, Jonker said the required training length varies per person. He estimated an average of around five days.
Following Jonker’s comments, Spar told MyBroadband that its recruitment protocol is designed to ensure high safety and compliance standards for Spar2U riders.
“Our process includes rigorous vetting of driver and asset information to meet all legal requirements,” said Spar Group’s national PR manager, Mpudi Maubane.
“For foreign national drivers, we implement additional checks to ensure adherence to Regulation 110 (1) of the National Road Traffic Regulations.”
“Each new recruit undergoes an on-road skill assessment and is paired with an experienced driver for their first week of employment,” she added.
Mr D said its drivers are independent contractors who all hold valid driver’s licences, while Uber said it has several processes that drivers and delivery riders must complete before they can access the platform.