Uber has called on the South African Transport Ministry to revise a number of proposed amendments to the National Land Transport Act.

The amendments aim to update the legislation to account for the proliferation of ridesharing companies like Uber.

Uber has expressed concerns with some of the proposed amendments, including a new clause which will force its drivers to acquire permits to be drivers.

Failure to comply could result in Uber and the driver having to pay a fine of up to R100,000.

Uber said the problem with the clause is the inefficiency of local authorities which result in major delays with drivers getting permits.

“The permit-issuing systems and processes of many of South Africa’s major municipalities are flawed and this has resulted in massive application backlogs and delays of up to 18 months,” said Uber.

Uber said the implementation of this clause must be delayed until the “current challenges experienced by public transport operators applying for operating licences are resolved”.

There are currently over 12,000 Uber drivers in South Africa, and Uber said the implementation of these regulations would have a major effect on their lives.

Uber added that the majority of its drivers have applied for operating licenses, but most have not received them – due to lengthy delays by municipalities.

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