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Taxify launches safety feature but some drivers are not comforted

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Taxify has added a safety function to its popular taxi service app. Picture: Phelokazi MbudePHOTO:
Taxify has added a safety function to its popular taxi service app. Picture: Phelokazi MbudePHOTO:

Taxi service Taxify is rolling out a safety feature for its mobile application in a bid to ensure the safety of its drivers, but it has been met with indifference from some of them.

The company has partnered with the safety mobile application Nomola to initiate its safety feature. Within the Taxify drivers’ application there will be an emergency button inserted that provides the same function as the Nomola application.

“They can push this SOS button and someone will call them in a matter of seconds,” said Taxify country manager, Gareth Taylor.

The safety feature is in its pilot phase and plans are in place to fully roll it out at the end of April.

The company said their drivers had expressed a number of concerns about their safety when providing transport services on behalf of Taxify.

“We’ve seen a trend, that it is escalating,” said Taylor, responding to the number of safety complaints.

In June last year a it was reported that a Taxify vehicle was petrol bombed in Sunnyside, Pretoria. The driver managed to escape.

Recently, Taxify driver Siyabonga Ngcobo’s remains were found in the boot of a burnt Taxify vehicle in the same area in Pretoria.

In addition to the safety button Taxify said it also has an existing “high priority team” that deals with theft, robbery, assault, hijacking and violence that allegedly relates to metered taxi drivers.

Despite these steps taken by the company, some drivers are not comforted.

One driver said he didn’t believe this new safety function would change much.

He said since he started driving for Taxify in February he already had seven customers running away without paying, one of whom owes him R600. He was not satisfied with the company’s response.

“They just send me a message after maybe one week or two weeks [later] and said ‘we’ll give you the numbers to communicate with the client’. Just like that,” he said.

He said he also had concerns about being attacked by metered taxi drivers but came up with his own solution – “Just stay away from those guys”.

“I remember [yesterday] I was in Yeoville [in Johannesburg] and I was parking next to [the metered taxis]. I had to pull off my chargers. I had to move all those things in order to hide them so that I just make it [out].”

Yeoville has been identified by Taxify as one of the dangerous hotspots in Johannesburg in addition to some streets in Soweto and some areas in Pretoria.

“I wasn’t safe at all but I just ignored them so they can’t see me,” said the driver.

Another driver said he had experienced many problems with his Taxify application and didn’t think the new feature would add any value.

“How can you add more to an app that already doesn’t work,” he said.

With regards to drivers who have already been hurt on the job, the company is yet to find a permanent solution.

“We don’t have a policy at the moment. We deal with it on a case by case basis. One of the things we are working on is to have some kind of insurance,” said Taylor.

Taxify said the government also had a role to play in keeping their drivers safe.

“We’ve been liaising with the local and provincial government here in Gauteng over the past couple of weeks. We’re really grateful for the communication channels that were open there that we are able to collaborate with them. We’re working now on some kind of relationship in KwaZulu-Natal and in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape,” said Taylor.

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