The safety of South Africa's e-hailing industry is under increasing scrutiny as drivers face a growing threat from criminals.
Drivers operating on e-hailing platforms are being robbed, hijacked and, in some cases, killed while on duty. In one incident, an e-hailing driver was strangled to death during a trip by passengers. In a separate case reported in May, another driver was allegedly lured into an attack after a passenger set up an ambush involving additional assailants.
MasterDrive CEO Eugene Herbert said the dangers facing the sector extend beyond criminal activity by passengers.
"Multiple individuals have been implicated in intimidation, extortion and violence," said Herbert. He noted that reports have linked some incidents to growing hostility towards foreign-owned e-hailing platforms.
According to Herbert, the National E-hailing Federation of South Africa has indicated that existing safety measures are often reactive and that more robust solutions linked to law enforcement are needed.
