Transport minister advises Uber, Bolt to install panic buttons
· Citizen
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said the department is aware of growing safety risks and incidents within the e-hailing industry, many of which are linked to criminal activity.
She noted that while national land transport regulations provide for safety features in e-hailing vehicles, these measures are currently not compulsory, but they were made with passenger and driver safety in mind.
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Safety concerns in the e-hailing industry affect millions of South Africans who depend on services such as Uber, Bolt and inDrive for affordable and accessible transport every day.
Panic Buttons for Uber, Bolt
Creecy was asked by EFF MP Lorato Florence Tito about what measures the department has taken to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers of e-hailing services.
“Sub-regulation (m) calls for a panic button to be installed in the vehicle and also encourages the use of an in-app panic button, whichever is convenient to use when necessary,” said Creecy in the parliamentary reply.
“The introduction of the panic button in the vehicle is also a safety feature for passengers, enabling rapid response by law enforcement or private security.”
According to Regulation 16(g), live tracking from the start to the conclusion of the trip depends on the availability of push notifications that inform the user of the trip request, the driver’s arrival time, the driver’s most recent photo, and vehicle details.
“The department is still raising awareness and encouraging travellers to utilise these services responsibly and cautiously, as well as to take the aforementioned precautions to stay safe,” she added.
Not mandatory for Uber, Bolt
Tito also asked the minister whether the department has considered mandatory national panic-alert integration and real-time incident coordination between e-hailing platforms and the police.
Creecy replied that making the aforementioned measures mandatory has not been considered. “These are measures proposed in the regulations, and other measures can be coordinated by the industry itself, as is currently being done,” she said.
“For instance, in order to help with crime prevention and investigations, drivers are asked to think about additional safety precautions, like adding dash cams to record the trip.”
Governing the land transport sector
Another question posed by Tito was, “What progress has been made in formalising and regulating the relationship between metered taxis, minibus taxi operators and e-hailing services to reduce violent conflict within the transport sector?”
“From a regulatory perspective, the National Land Transport Act and its regulations govern the whole land transport sector, including minibus taxis, metered taxis, and e-hailing operators, by setting rules for their operations,” said Creecy.
She added that the current changes aim to create specific rules for each group, especially by including e-hailing and streamlining licensing, to reduce conflict among operators and improve safety.
“Government, in its engagements with the industry, encourages it to formalise itself. There are existing industry bodies that represent minibus taxis, metered taxis, and e-hailing operators and interventions as needed, and regularly request the department to provide updates on continuing to engage with the government across all three spheres.
“Law enforcement agencies are prepared to address any criminal activity. NatJoints and ProvJoints are on high alert and ready to coordinate emerging issues in the industry.”