An ongoing strike by the Western Cape E-Hailing Association (WCEA) at Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is affecting passengers travelling to and from the airport.
The WCEA announced its three-day strike, which started on Saturday (April 27) and is expected to end today (April 29), with participating drivers ceasing all e-hailing services at CPT during this time.
Listing their demands in a statement, the e-hailing association said the protest was in response to the lack of parking provided by the app companies, and the working conditions.
Siyabonga Hlabisa, Chairperson of the WCEA, and its secretary, Omar Parker, said the association represented a significant number of e-hailing drivers/operators in the province who had expressed deep concern over the inadequate parking facilities provided by Uber and other app companies for drivers picking up and dropping passengers.
Hlabisa said drivers had reported long waiting times, congestion, lack of proper amenities, no toilets for women, poor maintenance, and lack of health and safety, making their work more challenging and affecting their livelihoods.
“This unbearable work environment has now spilled over into serious tensions amongst drivers, with potentially volatile situations developing,” Hlabisa said.
“The association has highlighted the poor working conditions drivers are subjected to, including long hours, low pay, and a lack of support and responsiveness from app companies. These issues have been exacerbated by the increased demand for e-hailing services at the airport.
“In light of these grievances, the association has called for a protest action at CPT to demand immediate improvements to parking facilities and working conditions,” he added.
Rudi Wagenaar, Owner of On-Demand Hospitality Solutions Inc. (a division of Sustainable Luxury), told Tourism Update that he was only made aware of the strike when his Airbnb guests were struggling to get an Uber to the airport.
“It was only when my guests started to struggle to book a ride that I started looking for something that could affect the app.”
Wagenaar called on the industry to communicate possible disruptions more clearly and timeously.
Contingency plans in place
Airports Company South Africa said it had been made aware of the strike by the WCEA, highlighting that the grievances raised by the association were not directed at airport operations or the management at CPT.
“The airport management team would like to assure all travellers that contingency plans have been put in place to mitigate any disruptions to airport operations. Travellers may, however, experience a disruption in e-hailing services and long waiting times,” Acsa said in a statement.
To facilitate a smooth experience for all passengers, Acsa strongly advised passengers to arrive at least two hours before the scheduled departure time for domestic flights, and at least three hours before international flights.
“This will provide adequate time to complete the check-in and security procedures in the event of delays caused by the disruption of e-hailing services.”
Acsa further encouraged passengers to download its app, available on all app stores, for the most up-to-date flight information.
“Travellers are also encouraged to use authorised Airport Taxi operators located in the terminal building. Please enquire at the Information Desks and our team will direct you to the authorised operators,” Acsa concluded.
