The Stellenbosch traffic department has continued with the impounding of e-hailing vehicles that are operating in Stellenbosch. All e-hailing services that operate in Stellenbosch operate illegally, as no e-hailing licenses are currently in place within the Stellenbosch Municipality’s jurisdiction.
This is according to Roscoe Bergstedt, a civil engineer, on behalf of Stellenbosch Municipality.
While the municipality is working on a process of issuing e-hailing licenses, this process is still in an initial phase, and no interim arrangement is in place, according to Bergstedt.
Bergstedt stated that all e-hailing services without valid operating licences for the Stellenbosch area get impounded, not only Uber drivers’ vehicles.
Uber drivers operating in Stellenbosch currently fear being impounded, as it would leave them without an income. This is according to Tonderai Clarence, an Uber driver for Cape Town and Stellenbosch areas. PHOTO: Sherie Vollenhoven
‘Massive increase’ in impounds
This comes after some Uber drivers who operate in Stellenbosch have voiced their concerns over a perceived increase in their vehicles being impounded.
Some Uber drivers who operate in Stellenbosch claim to have licenses to operate in Cape Town. However, these licenses are not valid in the Stellenbosch area, and are only valid within 35 km of Cape Town, said Erasmus Jowore, an Uber driver who works in the Stellenbosch area.
In 2021, several Stellenbosch Uber drivers held a protest against the impounding of Uber vehicles. While the impounding of e-hailing vehicles slowed down after the protest, the impounding of e-hailing service vehicles saw a “massive increase” since the beginning of 2024, according to Karin Vector, who spoke on behalf of the Paarl traffic department.
Since Stellenbosch does not have an impound lot, all vehicles that are impounded by the Stellenbosch traffic department are routed to Paarl’s traffic department’s impound, said Vector.
“[The] only way to avoid getting impounded is not to work in Stellenbosch,” said Tafadzwa Monkey, an Uber driver who operates in Cape Town. PHOTO: Sherie Vollenhoven
Impounding fees and response from Uber
Xolani Sigede, an Uber driver who operates within Stellenbosch, claimed that he recently had to pay R7 000 to release his vehicle from the impound. When the amount cannot be paid, Uber drivers are left without an income, said Sigede. Uber drivers do not get any help from Uber when their cars are impounded in Stellenbosch, whereas they are compensated when their cars are impounded in Cape Town, claimed Sigede.
All cars that are impounded by Stellenbosch Municipality – including the vehicles of Uber drivers – are sent to an impound in Paarl. This is according to Karin Vector, who spoke on behalf of the Paarl traffic department. PHOTO: Supplied/Erasmus Jowore
Uber has declined to comment on the matter.