Uber urges South Africa to curb taxi driver violence

JOHANNESBURG – Uber says South Africa’s government must do more to prevent taxi driver violence after at least one vehicle using the ride-hailing app was set on fire.

South African transport minister Joe Maswanganyi on Friday denounced the clashes a day earlier between metered taxi drivers and competitors who use the Uber app in Johannesburg’s upscale Sandton district.

Police say two Uber-linked vehicles were set on fire. Uber confirms that one of the cars was registered to use its app and that the driver was “not seriously injured.”

South African media quote authorities as saying some drivers using the Uber app retaliated by throwing stones, and police fired rubber bullets to restore order.