Uber SA said drivers go through a rigorous sign-up procedure and are verified to ensure they satisfy safety requirements before offering any rides. File picture
Chera-lee le Roux, a 27-year-old woman from Cape Town claimed that on on Thursday, November 14, she was picked up from her unit by an Uber driver to Greenpoint.
However, she said on the way to her destination, she was attacked by four men who robbed and attempted to rape her while the Uber drive apparently did nothing to help.
Uber South Africa told IOL that the safety of passengers and drivers on the e-hailing platform is a high priority.
“We are deeply concerned about the incident and are actively investigating the matter. We are working closely with the relevant authorities to provide any necessary assistance and will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate action as needed,” said Uber.
They went on to say that all Uber drivers go through a rigorous sign-up procedure and are verified to ensure they satisfy safety requirements before offering any rides.
This case has garnered a lot of attention on social media, with numerous users accusing Uber SA of not caring about its female consumers.
“Im tired of being told to be more vigilant as a woman living in South Africa. I’m tired of being told to carry a weapon and check my surroundings. We can’t run, we can’t walk, we can’t take Ubers by ourselves. It’s terrifying,” posted Candice Chirwa on X (Twitter).
Phumzile Van Damme echoed the sentiment, saying that the case was insane.
She wrote: “SAPS indicates that this is not the first time a woman has almost been kidnapped and your drivers sat silently and did not intervene. Is this a human trafficking ring that some of your drivers may be involved Why have you not communicated about this to explain what are you doing about it?
“Have these drivers been fired? Have you reported the drivers to SAPS? Have you conducted an internal investigation? What have you done except keep quiet hoping this will go away while women get into your cars not knowing that they could be victims of rape or a kidnapping? This is beyond sick.”
Le Roux said she was left traumatised. “Recovery from an event like this will take years of therapy, the amount would be immense and even then, me and the other victims may never truly psychologically recover from this.”
IOL