Stellenbosch residents are questioning whether e-hailing services will continue to operate under new regulations introduced in September 2025. The National Land Transport Amendment Act requires vehicles to be branded, have panic buttons installed for commuter safety, and drivers to apply for operating licences.
Uncertainty around Uber and Bolt services has left commuters unsure about their future travel options. “It saddens me because Uber for me is a better way to get to your destination while taxis won’t take you from point A to my door,” said Sandasonke Abrahams, a Stellenbosch resident. She was concerned that the e-hailing operators’ failure to implement the new regulations would make their service unpredictable and unreliable.
An example of how e-hailing service operators should look, on Bree Street, Cape Town. Currently, there are no branded e-hailing cars in Stellenbosch. PHOTO: Supplied/Vela Ngudle
“I have to think of my safety because these boys and the taxi drivers will attack you when you have a branded Uber car,” says Shaun Mahosh, an Uber driver. Mahosh added that he has not yet implemented all that is required by the newly introduced Act.
The National Land Transport Amendment Act was introduced on 12 September 2025. E-hailing drivers were granted 180 days to apply for operating licenses, with this deadline fast-approaching on 11 March. Despite this, Uber and Bolt drivers in Stellenbosch are yet to brand their cars. There has been no indication as to what will happen to drivers who miss the deadline.
PHOTO: Bulela Sikithi
“Drivers who have been using other operating licenses such as meter licenses for the purpose of e-hailing services must convert to specific operation licences,” said Collen Msibi, the national spokesperson for the department of transport. Msibi added that the purpose of the Act is to ensure that e-hailing operators are regulated in terms of vehicle safety, driver fitness, the Professional Driving Permit (PrDP) and operating licenses.
Yandisa Maseti, a taxi driver in Stellenbosch, said that reduced e-hailing competition could increase taxi demand. “This means we will get to have more customers and we will see a raise in our weekly wages,” he said.
Anona Sibiya, a third-year BMus student at Stellenbosch University (SU) said that she often uses Uber and that switching to taxis would be difficult, as she is unfamiliar with how the taxi system operates in Stellenbosch. “I do not even remember how life was before Bolt and Uber,” she said.
Taxi drivers parked at the rank waiting for commuters. PHOTO: Bulela Sikithi
Despite multiple attempts to get comments from Uber and Bolt, SMF News did not get a response from them by the time this article was published.