POLL | Have you experienced a life-threatening incident during an Uber trip?

The latest reports of Uber drivers allegedly working with criminals to rob passengers have been met with mixed reactions. 

Sunday Times reported some Uber drivers allegedly carry attackers in the boot of their car to rob passengers in Pretoria. 

Johannesburg resident Kayleigh Marx, 25, and a friend were robbed in an Uber vehicle after the driver allegedly led them into a terrifying ordeal at the hands of two attackers he allowed into the car. 

Her story is one of at least six cases of late-night attacks on unsuspecting passengers who use the ride-sharing service, which sells itself as a safe form of transport.

According to DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille, some modern innovations face doom in South Africa as criminals quickly destroy them.

“[The] magnificent innovation called Uber, or e-hailing, that has provided such a valuable service in SA is also under threat from criminals. The front page of the Sunday Times describes several instances where Uber drivers colluded with criminals to rob passengers,” she said. 

“Still in the transport space, when taxis are impounded for breaking the law, they burn buses and intimidate workers seeking other means of transport. And, of course, the normal chorus jumps to the defence of the criminals against a government trying to establish the rule of law.

“And everywhere, vandalism continues as buildings are stripped and everything movable is stolen. School technology infrastructure is stolen, construction mafias prevent infrastructure and housing development and criminals extort 'protection money' from businesses.”

In December last year, Uber rolled out a opt-in audio-recording feature in Pretoria and Johannesburg. 

The feature allows riders and drivers to record audio while on a trip and to share the audio with Uber for support purposes in case of a safety incident.

“Drivers have been asking for this feature based on their feedback from round-table sessions, and we are excited to be rolling out this feature nationally. We believe it will offer riders and drivers the peace of mind they need to travel with ease, as well as improve conduct on the app,” said Collen Mphabantshi, senior operations manager for safety at Uber Sub-Saharan Africa.

The in-app feature has been successful in the US, where it was introduced a few years ago, particularly serving as evidence in dispute resolution incidents.

“As we head into the festive season, we would like to remind riders and drivers to put safety first and to make use of Uber’s safety features if they feel uncomfortable in any way,” said Mphabantshi.