Taxify stabbing: “Vetting of drivers is crucial” – says Dept of Transport

The Western Cape department of transport has officially noted that it, together with Taxify, will launch a probe into a stabbing that took place in Brackenfell, Cape Town, involving two female passengers.

As reported by Cape Talk Radio, the father of one of the passengers spoke out about the alleged incident that befell his daughter and her friend.

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What prompted the Taxify driver to stab the passengers?

According to the father’s version of events, things took a turn for the worst when his daughter allegedly told the Taxify driver she and her friend had no cash in hand to pay for the trip, but that her boyfriend would foot the bill once they’d reached their destination.

“My daughter and her friend were [using] a company called Taxify. I’ve heard a lot of bad things about Taxify, especially in the Southern Suburbs… The two of them got into the Taxify and they were about a kilometer from my daughter’s boyfriend’s house — she didn’t have any cash to pay the guy…

“She offered to pay double, whatever the case is… He stopped the car and said ‘f*** you’ and out came the knife. He stabbed her on the side, and twice in the back. She managed to get out of the car and run like hell. Her friend was in the back of the car. She couldn’t get out quick enough. He stabbed her twice in the back, puncturing her lung…” the father recalled.

It is unclear, at this point, how exactly things turned violent where both of the passengers were stabbed. However, according to authorities, the driver has been placed under arrest.

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Western Cape dept of transport meets with Taxify management

Since the incident, calls for Taxify’s service to be removed from the country rang loud from concerned citizens, including the City’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith.

However, according to the MEC for transport in the Western Cape, Donald Grant, this, in a larger context, is not so much of a Taxify issue than it is that of the driver.

“Taxify is merely a platform which is used by individual operators that require operating licenses, and not Taxify, because those individual operators provide the public transport service,” he explained.

After a meeting with the management of the cab service company, Grant noted that there is a need to implement more rigorous measures in vetting drivers.

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“The various safety measures by Taxify, including vetting of drivers, were also discussed at the meeting,” he said.

The father has since confirmed that the two females are recovering well in hospital.

Taxify issues safety tips after incident

Since the incident, Taxify published an article around the best practices to exercise when a passenger uses their services.

These safety measures include critical steps like double checking the car’s registration plate and matching the driver’s image on the app and to that of the person who picks you up.

“With safety in mind, we have a Share My ETA function that appears on the bottom of the app, right under your driver’s profile.

“You can share your current trip details with trusted friends and family members during every ride. This makes it easier for loved ones to keep track of your journey and know when you’ve arrived.”