E-hailing drivers are a common target for hijackers and other criminals in South Africa, which is an issue that has been thrown into the spotlight following the introduction of dashboard cameras in many cars.
The South African government recently established new regulations for the e-hailing industry, including safety measures that require operators to install devices like panic buttons and dashcams.
These cameras have since captured several instances of drivers being attacked by criminals, who sometimes pose as customers only to jump the victim a short way into the journey.
Melithemba Mnguni, secretary general of the E-hailing Partners Council, said that these incidents do not reflect a sudden increase in criminal attacks on drivers.
Rather, this footage highlights a long-standing problem that is only starting to be documented on a large scale now that many drivers have dashcams.
“The robberies, like we always say, are on a daily basis. I wouldn’t really say they are increasing, because they’ve been constant for a long time,” Mnguni said in an interview on 702.
The council had initially hoped that the increased use of dashcams would deter criminals who target e-hailing drivers.
However, Mnguni said that the footage emerging from these incidents showed how brazen some thieves and hijackers have become.
“We’ve been hoping—now that a lot of people are moving to dash cameras—that [robberies] would subside and go down, but seemingly that’s how brazen these guys are,” he said.
He pointed to a recent case where a female driver was robbed even though the thieves were aware of the camera.
“I was just watching this one where they robbed the lady. They could see the camera, and he was actually insulting the camera,” Mnguni said. “So it’s really getting out of hand.”
He explained that ride-hailing drivers are particularly vulnerable because criminals can use the apps to arrange a meeting with their chosen victim.
Instead of needing to find a target on the street, a group of hijackers can lure a driver to an isolated location.
Mnguni said it was a major problem, as criminals can create profiles on these apps and pose as legitimate customers before an attack.
While dashcams are providing valuable evidence of these incidents, the council is disappointed that they have not deterred criminals as much as they had hoped.
Companies need to do more to protect their drivers
Mnguni also criticised the e-hailing companies themselves, claiming they haven’t done enough to support their drivers.
The E-hailing Partners Council previously called for drivers to be compensated when they were robbed or injured while working, according to BusinessTech.
“Unfortunately, there is no support. We actually fought and said that they should be able to compensate drivers when they are robbed during trips, injured, and so forth,” said Mnguni.
He noted that some medical cover that companies had previously agreed to provide had since been withdrawn.
“So right now, when you lose your phone, it’s on you. You lose whatever possessions you have or get injured, and they don’t intervene.”
On the subject of security measures, Mnguni said that Uber’s user verification process had made it more difficult for criminals to make accounts to lure in victims. However, not all platforms have a similar system.
“On the Uber platform, that’s why a lot of criminals wouldn’t commit that crime—because they know that there is that verification. But you don’t get the same on the other platforms.”
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