Platforms verify vehicles through inspections and, increasingly, through in-app photo scans that a driver completes on a phone. Both check the same things: that the vehicle presented is the vehicle registered, and that it is in acceptable condition.
This page covers what those checks look at, how to pass them, and what a failure means for your earnings.
Driver or Vehicle Requirements at a Glance
What a vehicle generally requires.
- A valid operating licence or authorisation under the National Land Transport Act 5 of 2009
- A current roadworthy certificate and valid vehicle licence
- Registration in the operator’s name, or documented authority to use the vehicle
- Comprehensive insurance covering commercial e-hailing use
- A driver with a valid driver’s licence and professional driving permit (PrDP)
- A vehicle meeting the platform’s year model, type and condition requirements
- Passing the platform’s vehicle inspection
- The seating and door configuration the service class requires
Licence and Eligibility Requirements
Confirm the current inspection and scan requirements with the platform, since the process, the frequency and what triggers a re-scan are set by the platform and change.
The check confirms identity as well as condition. Number plates, the vehicle appearance and sometimes the VIN are checked against the registered details. A vehicle that does not match what is registered fails, and substituting a different vehicle is a serious terms breach.
What is typically assessed: tyres and tread, lights and indicators, glass and windscreen, panels and paint, mirrors, seatbelts, interior condition and cleanliness, and the absence of damage that would concern a passenger.
A photo scan is not easier than a physical inspection, it is just faster. Poor photographs are the most common reason a scan is rejected — blurred images, poor light, cropped views or a dirty vehicle.
Take the photographs properly: in daylight, on a clean vehicle, on level ground with space around it, straight on rather than at an angle, with the whole panel or feature in frame, and with number plates legible where required. Fifteen minutes of preparation avoids a rejection.
Vehicle, Inspection and Safety Requirements
Fix the obvious before scanning. A cracked windscreen, a blown bulb, a bald tyre, a hanging bumper or a torn seat will fail. Repairing them first is cheaper than a failed scan and the lost days that follow.
A failed check usually deactivates the vehicle until it is resolved, which means no earnings. That is the real cost, and it is why proactive maintenance is worth more in this work than in private motoring.
Roadworthiness is the legal standard and it is separate from the platform’s. A vehicle used for public transport is subject to periodic roadworthy testing, and the items that fail a platform check — tyres, lights, glass — are usually the ones that fail a roadworthy test too.
Keep the vehicle clean as a matter of routine. Cleanliness affects the scan, the passenger ratings and the platform’s view of the vehicle, and it costs almost nothing.
Photograph the vehicle’s condition yourself, regularly. Dated photographs are what resolve a dispute about damage a passenger caused, and they take a minute.
Insurance must cover commercial use. A personal motor policy generally excludes e-hailing, which means a claim after an accident while carrying a passenger is likely to be rejected. Declare the use, obtain a policy that covers it, and confirm the excess and whether passengers are covered.
Documents, PrDP or Supporting Evidence
What is needed for the vehicle check.
- A valid operating licence or authorisation
- The vehicle registration certificate and current licence disc
- A current roadworthy certificate
- Comprehensive insurance schedule showing e-hailing cover
- A valid driver’s licence and professional driving permit
- A police clearance certificate, where the platform requires it
- A letter of authority from the owner, where the driver is not the owner
- Proof of identity and the right to work in South Africa
- Banking details in the operator’s own name
Registration or Application Process
The operating licence is the legal requirement, not the platform’s. The National Land Transport Act requires the applicable operating licence or authorisation for a public transport service, issued through the provincial regulatory entity. Platform registration is not a substitute, and operating without it exposes the vehicle to impoundment. Confirm the current requirements with your provincial regulatory entity.
Complete the scan or inspection when the platform requests it rather than waiting, since a lapsed check deactivates the vehicle.
If a check is rejected, ask specifically what failed and fix that item before resubmitting. Resubmitting the same photographs of the same problem wastes days.
Never present a different vehicle from the one registered, and never allow another driver to use your registered vehicle account. Both are terms breaches with immediate consequences and they void the insurance position.
- Confirm the current inspection and scan process with the platform
- Fix obvious defects before scanning, not after a rejection
- Photograph in daylight, on a clean vehicle, straight on and in frame
- Make sure number plates are legible where required
- Keep tyres, lights, glass and seatbelts in order continuously
- Remember a failed check means no earnings until resolved
- Keep the vehicle clean as routine — it affects scans and ratings
- Photograph the vehicle’s condition yourself, dated, for disputes
- Never present a vehicle other than the one registered
- Ask what specifically failed before resubmitting
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the check assess?
Vehicle identity against the registered details, and condition — tyres, lights, glass, panels, mirrors, seatbelts and interior cleanliness.
Why do photo scans get rejected?
Usually the photographs rather than the vehicle — blurred, poorly lit, cropped or taken on a dirty car. Shoot in daylight, on a clean vehicle, straight on and fully in frame.
What happens if I fail?
The vehicle is usually deactivated until it is resolved, which means no earnings. Fixing obvious defects beforehand is cheaper than the lost days.
Can I present a different car?
No. The check confirms the vehicle against the registered details, and substituting a vehicle is a serious terms breach that also voids the insurance position.
Inspection and scan processes, condition standards, frequencies and operating licence requirements are set by the platforms and the provincial regulatory entities and are revised. Confirm current requirements with the platform.