E-hailing driver busted for allegedly stealing R650,000 from rider

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has announced the arrest of a 30-year-old Zimbabwean e-hailing driver in Simons Town for allegedly defrauding a customer of R650,000.

His arrest came after a 21-year-old Danish man and two friends ordered a ride from Cape Town to Simons Town.

The riders dozed off during the journey, and the driver allegedly gained access to a credit card and sent the information to a relative in Europe, where several purchases at luxury boutique shops were made using the card.

“The complainant became aware of the purchases during the early hours this morning when he received notifications on his phone,” the SAPS said in a statement.

After unsuccessfully attempting to reach the e-hailing driver, the complainant reported the case to Simons Town police.

“This is where Sergeant Henry Simons used his initiative and booked an e-hailing service with the specific driver, using the phone at the court building, not raising suspicion by using a number connected to the police station,” the SAPS said.

“The suspect reported for the ride at the court building where he was questioned and arrested.”

Ride-hailing companies like Bolt and Uber work hard to protect their riders and drivers during trips.

Driver misconduct has been an issue for both platforms, with Bolt blocking 6,000 dodgy driver profiles from its platform in June 2024.

It said it blocked the drivers due to non-compliance and safety-related issues.

“This move is part of Bolt’s ongoing commitment to providing top safety infrastructure within the ride-hailing industry,” said Bolt.

It added that it will continue to block drivers and riders who are reported for misconduct.

“We believe that one incident is too many, and we want to ensure that our platform consists of top-rated drivers, which will result in a better overall ride experience,” said Bolt’s acting head of regulatory and policy in Africa, Wyinmi Aghadiuno.

In August last year, several reports of Uber drivers attacking riders surfaced. However, the e-hailing company emphasised that its registered drivers were not involved.

Uber’s former general manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, Kagiso Khaole, said internal investigations confirmed that the attacks were carried out by third-party individuals and not Uber drivers.

He added that some of the incidents reported occurred because the alleged victims got into the wrong vehicle and that it’s critical that riders verify their driver and vehicle details before getting into the car.

He said riders can also enable a PIN verification feature, without which a trip cannot start.