Harare City Council is drafting a new regulatory framework for e-hailing services such as InDrive and Bolt, amid efforts to close legal gaps and determine how the sector should contribute to the maintenance of roads and other public infrastructure.
Mayor Jacob Mafume said council was consulting Government, operators and other stakeholders, noting that existing transport laws were largely designed for conventional taxis, buses and kombis and had not kept pace with app-based services.
“What is clear is that there has been a legal lacuna in terms of how e-hailing services are handled in Harare, and in Zimbabwe. Our law has not caught up with the innovation that comes with the e-hailing services,” he said.
No revenue-sharing charge has been introduced, with the amount, collection mechanism and whether any future contribution would be paid by individual drivers or the platforms yet to be determined.
He said conventional passenger transport operators had raised concerns over the application of existing regulations, arguing that e-hailing operators were providing similar passenger services but operating under a different regulatory environment.
Zimbabwe’s Road Motor Transportation Act regulates passenger transport services, including permit requirements, but predates the emergence of app-based transport platforms.
The proposed policy comes amid increased enforcement against some e-hailing drivers by Harare municipal police, with drivers reportedly being stopped and fined for alleged breaches of existing transport regulations.
Mafume defended the enforcement, saying municipal police were applying the law currently in force, while acknowledging the need for a clearer regulatory framework specifically addressing e-hailing services.
“What has been happening and what is being applied has been the law as it currently stands, vis-a-vis the innovation that has come with e-hailing services,” he said.
However, the mayor acknowledged the growing importance of the sector, particularly as a source of employment and income for families.
“We do understand that it is an innovation that is bringing relief to families, that is putting food on the table, that is increasing employment, in terms of those that are being employed in the city, and in the country,” he said.
Council’s transport department has been tasked with developing the proposed policy in consultation with relevant stakeholders and Government. The city also intends to examine regulatory approaches adopted in other countries, particularly South Africa, before settling on a framework suitable for Harare.
Mafume said the proposed regulations would seek to balance the need for compliance with the law with the continued growth of e-hailing services.
“We have tasked our transport department to come up quickly with a policy that will consult with the relevant stakeholders, and make sure that there is compliance with the law, and that this service not only contributes to employment, but also contributes to the maintenance of the infrastructure that they have to use, and the maintenance of revenues to the city,” he said.
He added that the city was discussing with its parent ministry how existing operators would be treated while the new framework is being developed, including the possibility of a temporary window allowing them to continue operating.
“I’m sure InDrive operators have no issues sharing their revenue with the city and the citizens of the city, so that the infrastructure can be put in place,” Mafume said.
The mayor said council would announce the next steps once consultations with Government and other stakeholders had been concluded.
