Is your Uber ride legal? What passengers should check before getting in - IOL
Here are the checks passengers should make before getting into an Uber or other e-hailing vehicle.
For many South Africans, opening an e-hailing app and getting into a car has become part of everyday life.
But new rules governing the industry mean passengers should be paying closer attention to the vehicle and driver picking them up.
The question now is not just whether an Uber ride appears on the app or not.
Passengers should also check whether the vehicle and driver are operating within the legal requirements for e-hailing services.
This comes as South Africa tightens regulation of the e-hailing industry, with questions having been raised over the compliance of major platforms, including Uber.
In September 2025, the National Department of Transport gazetted amendments to the National Land Transport Act and regulations formally recognising e-hailing as a category of public transport.
The regulations require e-hailing operators to have valid operating licences, while e-hailing platforms must also be registered with the National Public Transport Regulator (NPTR).
The Western Cape Parliament said in May 2026 that the six-month period for platform registration had ended on March 11, with Bolt registered before the deadline, while Uber was still to be registered at that stage. It also said operating licences could only be converted once the relevant platform provider had been registered.
However, the Department of Transport subsequently confirmed that it had received an application from Uber South Africa Services for registration as an e-hailing platform provider. The application was submitted after the March deadline.
For passengers, the regulatory dispute raises a practical question: How do you know whether the Uber arriving to collect you is the vehicle you should actually get into?
The simplest and most important check is to compare the vehicle arriving at your pickup point with the information displayed in the Uber app.
Uber itself advises riders to check the vehicle's licence plate number, make and model before getting into the car.
The driver's name and photograph should also correspond with the person behind the wheel.
The Department of Transport has previous warned commuters to verify that the driver and vehicle details appearing in the app correspond with the vehicle and driver providing the trip.
If the number plate, vehicle, driver or other identifying details do not match what appears in the app, do not get into the vehicle.
Instead, cancel the trip if necessary and report the discrepancy through the app.
The new regulations is more than just having an account on an e-hailing platform.
An e-hailing operator needs an operating licence issued by the relevant regulatory authority. The regulations also set out safety requirements for drivers and vehicles.
These include requirements relating to the driver's professional driving permit, criminal-record screening, vehicle identification and a panic button.
The Department of Transport has also said e-hailing vehicles should be branded or carry a sign identifying them as e-hailing vehicles.
Importantly, being visible on the Uber app is not, by itself, proof that every legal requirement has been satisfied.
Uber's own South African driver requirements include a valid Professional Driving Permit (PrDP), safety screening and vehicle documentation.
This is where things become more complicated for passengers.
The operating licence is a regulatory requirement placed on the operator and vehicle. Passengers are not expected to become transport-law experts before getting into an e-hailing vehicle.
The Department's guidance is instead clear that commuters should check that the driver and vehicle details correspond with those shown in the app and exercise caution where they do not.
If you have concerns about a particular vehicle's compliance, you could ask the driver about the vehicle's operating licence and report the matter to the relevant provincial transport authority or the e-hailing platform.
Passengers may encounter drivers who say they are waiting for an operating licence or that their paperwork is still being processed.
That is a regulatory issue between the operator, platform and authorities. Passengers should not assume that a driver's explanation means the vehicle is legally authorised.
The Department of Transport has stressed that operating licences are a requirement for public transport operators, while the new rules provide a framework specifically for e-hailing services.
An operating licence is an important legal requirement, but passengers should still carry out the basic safety checks recommended by the platform and government.
A legally authorised vehicle can still be involved in an incident, just as an apparently legitimate vehicle can have a driver or vehicle that does not match the information displayed in the app.
That is why passengers should treat the app's identification and safety tools as an important first line of defence.
1. Check the number plate. Make sure it is exactly the same as the registration displayed in the app.
2. Check the vehicle. Confirm that the make, model and appearance correspond with the information shown in the app.
3. Check the driver. Make sure the person driving matches the driver's name and photograph displayed in the app.
4. Don't accept a different car simply because the driver says it is also an Uber.If the vehicle does not match the trip details, cancel or contact Uber through the app rather than taking the risk.
5. Don't share your trip details with strangers. Use the app's safety functions to share your trip and estimated arrival time with someone you trust.
6. Keep the trip inside the app. If a driver asks you to cancel the Uber trip and pay them directly, you lose some of the protections and information associated with the booked trip.
7. Report suspicious vehicles or drivers. If the driver, vehicle or circumstances do not match what you booked, report it through the platform and, where appropriate, to the relevant transport authority.
