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Uber's safety measures under scrutiny: Are riders and drivers being left in the dark?

Uber's safety measures under scrutiny: Are riders and drivers being left in the dark?
Yeshiel Panchia
By Yeshiel Panchia
24 Mar 2025
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While Uber has introduced several safety measures over the years, the lack of clarity around how these actually work — and how often they’re used — makes it difficult to assess how effective they really are.

A disturbingly common experience shared by both Uber drivers and riders in South Africa is crime — but the company’s responses to these two groups have been markedly different. High-profile incidents, like radio personality Anele Mdoda’s report of harassment by an Uber driver, have once again cast a spotlight on the e-hailing giant’s safety shortcomings. 

While Uber has introduced several safety measures over the years, the lack of clarity around how these actually work — and how often they’re used — makes it difficult to assess how effective they really are.

Riders have long faced threats from both impostors and registered drivers, with robberies, harassment and assault being among the most frequently reported incidents on social media and consumer complaint sites like HelloPeter.

“This week my teenage daughter requested an Uber ride. The driver stopped the car on the side of the road opposite a filling station and said it was because it is raining. He went on to ask my daughter how old she is and started making moves on her. She jump (sic) out the car and walked home scared,” wrote Michael M on HelloPeter in February.

Another reviewer, Mirriam A, said her child’s phone was stolen by a driver that same month. She noted that after reporting the incident through the app, there was no way to follow up or reach a service agent for assistance.

Drivers have faced similar challenges, with the most dangerous being cash trips. Joseph, a veteran driver who has been with Uber in Johannesburg for five years, said: “So some of our group members have had incidents where they were targeted, and then hours later, they’d be found or just gone.”

Many drivers have now resorted to creating unofficial WhatsApp groups to share safety tips, coordinate help for fellow drivers in distress, and generally vent frustrations. These informal support networks have effectively become a parallel safety infrastructure, born out of what drivers see as Uber’s failure to protect them.

“I really want to know how they justify this. They don't offer any compensation or investigation when someone’s life is at risk,” Joseph continued. “And that’s why, if you speak up, they might just take you off the platform.” He says drivers who take time off due to assault or trauma are sometimes blocked from working until they provide an updated roadworthy certificate — even though they were the victims.

Security theatre


On Tuesday, 18 March 2025, Uber invited the media to a security demonstration at the Johannesburg offices of Aura, a private emergency response service it partners with. The company highlighted new and existing in-app safety features — such as the emergency panic button, GPS live tracking, and integration with private security. Uber also pointed to past cases where its technology had played a role in arrests or successful interventions. Daily Maverick asked Uber's head of public safety, Mohale Matloga, whether information was shared when a warrant was issued or if the data was shared proactively. "We actually do it proactively also. We reach out to law enforcement as and when we get to know about these incidents and of course, if they (the police) reach out to us, we are able to help. It works both ways," he said.  

But when Daily Maverick sent a set of detailed follow-up questions about how frequently these tools are used, what response times are like, and how outcomes are measured, the emailed response was boilerplate:

"Uber works closely with law enforcement agencies to support safety and security in our communities. Our Public Safety Response Team is available to assist law enforcement in the cases they are investigating, which must be formally submitted with the necessary legal documentation. Each case is carefully reviewed to ensure compliance with applicable laws.

Uber is committed to the safety and well-being of drivers and riders on the platform. We take all reports of safety incidents seriously and have measures in place to provide support, including access to insurance and dedicated safety response teams. Additionally, we continue to invest in technology and partnerships aimed at enhancing safety for all users of the platform." 


Aura CEO Warren Myers confirmed that more Uber drivers than riders had reported safety incidents — but said he could not share detailed statistics without Uber’s approval. Uber declined the request for detailed statistics. The result was a media presentation that raised more questions than it answered.

The shared risks for both drivers and riders — robberies, physical attacks, harassment — underscore the cracks in a system that seems to prioritise growth and automation over meaningful safety protocols. That many drivers are now relying on peer-created WhatsApp groups to stay safe reflects a deeper structural failure: Uber has yet to institutionalise security in a way that both scales and supports its frontline use.

You and your data


In an attempt to alleviate the concerns and provide reassurance, an Uber representative told media during their press tour that Uber proactively worked with law enforcement; that is, Uber shares information with law enforcement bodies without requests for information, cases being lodged or warrants being issued.

Daily Maverick asked under what legal basis this was done, and how Uber ensured that it remained compliant with the Protection of Personal Information (Popi) Act.

These questions were not answered.

This lack of transparency raises an urgent question: what personal data of yours is being shared without your knowledge — and with whom?

At the minimum, the Uber app collects your full name, phone number, and email address. Depending on your payment method, it also processes your banking provider and card details. When the app is in use, it logs geolocation, device type, operating system, IP address, and whether you’re using Wi-Fi or cellular data. Time-stamped trip histories, ratings, and ride feedback are also collected.

Users who grant additional permissions might also allow access to phone contacts, microphone, and camera functions.

While some level of data collection is expected for an app like Uber, the opaque way in which this information is handled — particularly if shared with law enforcement or third parties — represents a significant privacy risk, especially in jurisdictions like South Africa where data regulation and enforcement are still evolving. 

Competition driving decline in quality?


In South Africa’s growing e-hailing market, Uber faces tough competition from Bolt and inDrive, two services that have gained rapid traction by offering cheaper rides and more flexibility.

Read more: From disruption to dilemma: Uber faces backlash over transparency and driver earnings in SA

Bolt, previously Taxify, has been operating in South Africa since 2016 and is now active in all major metros. Its key differentiator: it undercuts Uber’s prices.

InDrive, which launched locally in 2019, lets passengers set their own fares and negotiate directly with drivers — an appealing option in a market where price sensitivity is high.

On paper, this competition should drive better service. But in practice, the opposite appears to be happening. Across all three platforms, Uber, Bolt and Indrive (formerly listed as Indriver), passengers report dirty or unroadworthy vehicles, drivers cancelling mid-ride, and general unreliability. More worrying are growing reports of attacks and robberies involving e-hailing drivers — or people pretending to be them, according to an exhaustive examination of hundreds of reviews for each of these companies on HelloPeter.

Whether you drive or ride


The reality is that with the industry’s rapid expansion, quality control has slipped. Platforms are focused on market share, not necessarily safety or professionalism. The result is a complex, often risky environment where riders and drivers are left to weigh cost against personal risk.

Uber’s rapid South African expansion was once seen as a win-win: passengers got affordable rides, and drivers found a way to earn independently. But according to drivers like Brighton, that promise is fading fast.

Read more: Fuelling inequality — the exorbitant cost of Uber work

In response to these kinds of concerns, the government passed the National Land Transport Amendment Act in June 2024. The law aims to formally integrate e-hailing services into the public transport system by requiring operating licences and enforcing compliance with a set of regulations.

The hope is that this move will finally bring some accountability to an industry that is largely operated in regulatory limbo. But success depends entirely on implementation — and whether there’s real political will to enforce it.

What you can do


Uber does offer these safety tips on its website:

  • Request your ride inside the car: minimise the time that you’re standing outside by yourself with your phone in your hand.

  • Check your ride: Ensure you’re getting into the right car with the right driver by matching the licence plate, car make and model, and driver photo with what’s provided in your app. Never get in a car where the vehicle or driver identity doesn’t match what’s displayed in your app.

  • Have the driver confirm your name: To safely exchange names, you can ask, “Who are you here to pick up?” The driver may also ask you to confirm their name for their own peace of mind.

  • Be a back-seat rider: Sit in the back seat, especially if you’re riding alone. This helps ensure that you can safely exit on either side of the vehicle to avoid moving traffic, and it gives you and your driver some personal space.

  • Share your trip details with loved ones: While you’re on a trip, tap Share trip status in the app to share your driver’s name, photo, licence plate, and location with a friend or family member. They will receive a text or push notification that tracks your trip and ETA.

  • Protect your personal information: “In specific areas, we’re investing in technology to anonymise your phone number when you call or message your driver through the app,” Uber says. (This feature is not available in all countries.)

  • Trust your instincts: If you feel that you’re in an urgent situation, use the emergency button located in your app. Any time you call emergency services from the Uber app, the app provides you with your real-time location and trip details that you can share with the dispatcher. DM


*Note: The names of all Uber drivers in this story have been altered for their own protection.

Ed: Despite Matloga's very clear response (which Daily Maverick recorded in a voice note), this article has been updated to include Uber's full boilerplate response. 

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