Warning for South Africans who want to use new Uber service

South African driving and motorcycle riding experts have warned of a plethora of legal and safety problems with Uber’s motorcycle-based Moto taxi service.

The e-hailing giant announced it started piloting the cheaper ride-hailing option with trips starting from R18 in the western parts of Johannesburg’s central business district in mid-January 2025.

The service allows for one passenger to occupy the motorcycle’s pillion, which is a secondary pad, cushion, or seat behind the main seat or saddle on a motorcycle.

While the blog post announcing the pilot was inexplicably removed in the past few weeks, the company confirmed to several news publications that the tests were ongoing.

Driving.co.za managing director Rob Handfield-Jones told MyBroadband that the idea of pillion-for-hire was absurd when considering South Africa’s road death rate.

Motorcycle Safety Institute of South Africa founder and chief instructor Hein Jonker called the idea “foolish” and a “hard pass” for people with common sense.

“It’s about making money; it is not about the life carried by an incompetent and underqualified rider in an
unsafe environment on a most likely incapable motorcycle,” Jonker said.

“There are just too many variables to address and too few laws or regulations to effectively manage such a programme,” Jonker said. “I can say with confidence it will fail.”

Handfield-Jones and Jonker pointed out several specific glaring issues with Uber Moto, starting from the screening criteria for motorcycle riders to offer the service.

Jonker said the law stated any vehicle wishing to transport passengers for reward must have a valid professional driving permit (PrDP).

This qualification is required of e-hailing drivers using enclosed vehicles on Bolt, Uber, InDrive, and Wanatu.

In addition, a rider must have a full K53 Motorcycle License to legally carry a passenger, Jonker said.

Neither the PrDP nor the K53 Motorcycle Licence are prescribed in the Uber Moto’s Rider FAQ.

At face value, the requirements appear to be identical to those of an Uber Eats motorcycle driver.

Jonker and Handfield-Jones warned even with these two key qualifications, a rider would not necessarily be equipped to safely transport passengers.

“Riding with a rigid box on the back is not the same as carrying a person,” Jonker said.

“It takes a whole different mindset and skillset to safely carry another person on the back of a motorcycle.”

“Riders in this category should undergo training specifically in carrying a variety of passengers,” Jonker said.

“They should be coached to handle a variety of scenarios from mounting and dismounting, to braking and turning, swerving, quick stops, briefing passengers on safety, understand basic first-aid, and be capable of emergency or evasive procedures.”

Jonker expressed doubts over the Uber Moto screening company’s credentials for effectively qualifying a rider on the aforementioned requirements.

Handfield-Jones said that riding a pillion also required familiarity on the passenger’s side and preferably an introductory ride.

“Pillion riders have to understand body positioning and seating security in normal circumstances, during cornering, and during counter-steering emergencies, and it takes some time to learn these skills and become familiar with them,” he said.

Failing to position correctly as a pillion rider can jeopardise the safety of the motorcycle regardless of the skill of the rider, and I doubt that the average commuter has the least idea what is entailed in getting on the back of a motorcycle.

The problem with supplying legally compliant helmets

Another problem with Uber Moto was the legal requirement that passengers wear correctly-sized helmets while on the motorcycle.

“I see no way in which the riders could carry along a selection of helmet sizes in order to accommodate the head sizes of all likely passengers,” Handfield-Jones said.

“A considerable percentage of passengers would have no option but to wear an ill-fitting helmet in contravention of the law, and at considerable risk to their own safety.”

Another issue with helmets is that they are a known infection vector.

“There is no feasible way the ride-hailing services could prevent the spread of skin infections or head lice between users via helmets, especially via contact with the skin areas of the neck and face which can’t be protected by hair nets,” Handfield-Jones said.

Jonker said that even if the Uber Moto drivers had the necessary range of helmets, their condition and certification were not regulated or checked by traffic authorities.

Handfield-Jones echoed Jonker’s concerns regarding this.

“Any serious motorcyclist knows that if you drop your helmet, its life is over,” he said.

“You claim from insurance, have it destroyed, and buy a new one. How many prospective paying motorcycle passengers are aware of this risk?”

Jonker also said passengers were unlikely to be “dressed for the slide,” referring to wearing the appropriate protective gear to reduce damage as they fall or slide across a road and other surfaces in an accident.

Appeals to the government and Uber

Handfield-Jones advised a good way to gauge the danger of the service would be to consider whether a private insurer would cover the kind of potential risk it carries.

“I doubt it. That in itself should be a complete answer as to whether it should be tried,” he said.

He said “bizarre” ideas like Uber Moto would not be necessary in South Africa if the transport minister took stronger action to improve public transport.

He warned the Road Accident Fund and Department of Health that they would also be paying a price for injuries suffered by those using the service.

Jonker called on Uber to take life on two wheels more seriously and abandon the concept or put more effort and resources into changing regulations before launching it on a bigger scale.