advertisement
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Reddit

Remember these important safety tips when using Uber this festive season

South Africa is currently heading towards a second wave of COVID-19 infections and there is a general feeling of fatigue as regards restrictions in the country.

We get it, a lockdown that was meant to last three months at most is now entering its 10th month and there is no clear end to the State of Disaster in sight. Fatigue is understandable but it’s this fatigue which has lead to a number of events becoming ground-zero for infections.

As such on Monday evening President Cyril Ramaphosa announced tighter lockdown restrictions. These include a curfew that starts at 23:00 and runs until 04:00 each morning, limited sale of alcohol and a plea for businesses to enforce restrictions.

This means that folks should be able to visit family over the festive season (barring any more aggressive restrictions happening between now and 25th December) and as such you might be making use of ride sharing services.

For that reason we feel it pertinent to run over some safety tips that you should make use of, should you be making use of Uber. In fact, whether you’re using Uber or Bolt, heed these tips. The goal is that everybody is safer so it can’t hurt.

No mask, no ride

This is quite simple. If you aren’t wearing a mask you won’t be allowed to ride. In our encounters with Uber drivers in the last few weeks we’ve heard several stories from drivers who have had to cancel trips because customers refused to wear masks.

Whatever your opinion of masks is, if you’re dealing with other people or you are in a public space – wear one. People are scared of what COVID-19 could do to them and their families. As President Ramaphosa said last night, if we don’t adhere to the restrictions, this could be the last festive season for many South Africans.

We should also point out that if you are not wearing a mask, your Uber driver could face a fine or up to six months in prison.

“The responsible individuals who do not ensure compliance with the regulations by their passengers, customers or employees will be liable to a fine or to imprisonment of up to six months,” Ramaphosa said on Monday.

Don’t put business owners at risk, wear a mask.

A waiting caution

Unfortunately, crime tends to ramp up around the Festive season and criminals are looking to leverage any weakness they spot.

Uber has advised its customers to avoid waiting in the street for a ride to arrive.

“When you request your ride, check that you are requesting in a safe location. Minimise the time that you’re standing outside by yourself with your phone in your hand. Instead, wait inside until the app shows that your driver has arrived. If you need to contact your drive, simply message or call via the app. Uber uses an anonymised calling feature so neither of you will share your numbers,” Uber advises.

Before getting into the vehicle be sure to check the license plate and that the driver is the correct person. While Uber does have measures in place to insure a driver is who they say they, it doesn’t hurt to confirm these details.

The Check Your Ride feature lets you see a driver photo, the license plate and a driver photo. A PIN verification can also help to insure that you are in the correct vehicle with the correct driver.

Should you run into any issues you can contact the South African Uber support line 24/7 via the Uber app. However, on more than one occasion we have been unable to reach support via that feature. For that reason we highly recommend contacting the support line on 080 017 2956.

Finally, it is always a good idea to share your trip details with friends or family. This can be done after booking a trip and the driver will not know whether you have shared your trip details.

A word about Uber Eats

While much of this advice has focused on Uber we should also mention Uber Eats.

We urge you to wear a mask when collecting your order and observing social distancing protocols. Where possible avoid paying with cash.

Stay safe this festive season folks.

advertisement

About Author

advertisement

Related News

advertisement