The New Rules of the Road: Gauteng Cracks Down on E-Hailing App Registration

The familiar convenience of tapping your phone for a ride is about to get a major regulatory update. The Gauteng Department of Transport is drawing a clear line in the sand, urging all e-hailing app providers to formally register their digital platforms or risk operating outside the law.

This isn’t a provincial whim; it’s a direct enforcement of Section 66(A) of the National Land Transport Amendment Act. The message is simple: before any operating licenses can be issued to individual drivers, the tech companies themselves must first register their apps with the National Department of Transport.

Formalizing a “Wild West” Industry

For years, the e-hailing sector has operated in a grey area, experiencing explosive growth but with lingering questions about accountability and safety. The province now aims to bring this multi-billion rand industry firmly into the fold of regulated public transport.

Melitah Madiba, the department’s spokesperson, framed the move as essential for creating “a safe, accessible, transparent, and compliant public transport environment.” She acknowledged the economic opportunities the sector has created for thousands of drivers but stressed that “this growth must take place within a transparent and well-regulated environment that protects both operators and commuters.”

A Call for Collaboration from the Top

Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, made a direct appeal to the tech companies. “We therefore call upon all the app companies operating in Gauteng to work with us by submitting their registration,” she said. The goal is to use this process to “build an accountable, efficient, and lawful public transport system.”

This move addresses a critical gap. For too long, passengers and drivers have been vulnerable in a system where accountability was often blurred. This registration is the foundational step to changing that.

The Path Forward: Meetings and Operating Licenses

The department has promised a collaborative rollout. The Gauteng Provincial Regulatory Entity (GPRE) will convene meetings across the province to guide app providers and operators through the new requirements, ensuring they understand exactly what is needed to comply.

Once the apps are registered and other legal requirements, like voluntary agreements, are finalized, the pathway opens for drivers to apply for their own operating licenses through the GPRE.

This crackdown marks the end of the beginning for e-hailing in South Africa. The era of the unregulated digital taxi is over, replaced by a new framework designed to bring order, safety, and clear accountability to a service millions have come to rely on.

{Source: Citizen}

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com