By Kouthar Sambo
The E-hailing service Bolt has been posing a huge danger threat to women as reports indicate that women riders have been attacked, stabbed, and raped by drivers.
This comes after Bolt suspended more than 6000 drivers from its app in the past six months. Speaking on VOC’s PM Drive on Thursday, the chairperson of the Western Cape E-hailing Association Siyabonga Hlabisa said the move is a step to verify drivers.
“One of the issues we are facing is inspection and investigation on vehicles and persons driving. We want to stress to riders to report if the car is not in a good condition because this is how owners get away since there is no one reporting the car,” advised Hlabisa.
“This does not only apply to Bolt but other driving services as well – we have faced similar issues with other services when it comes to vehicle inspection and lacking the proper documents,” added Hlabisa.
He further urged riders to exercise safety and informed them of the panic button options available should any suspicious behaviour be detected.
“We are trying to raise a campaign for the rider and driver’s safety and we are asking riders to avoid cash trips, and if riders do request cash, they should have it on hand as opposed to using e-wallet and other processes which causes delays in the case of danger.”
He highlighted the importance of the support from the South African Police Service (SAPS) and urged SAPS not to turn riders away when they report these cases.
“Riders need to exercise caution when they request and check that the ride they are calling corresponds to the one on the app. Riders also have a right to ask drivers to open the boot and check the face of the driver because the current campaign we are running requests that the driver shows his face,” reiterated Hlabisa.
“Bolt has recently introduced a share button where you can share your trip with your friends and loved ones so they can track your trip. There are also features of panic buttons that you can press for emergency,” added Hlabisa.
Photo: VOCfm
