“After I picked up the package I took it to the drop off in Windsor and when I arrived the guy opened the package. Do you know what was inside?” an Uber driver tells me from the front seat after I ask him about Uber Connect.

“No, what was it?” I responded curiously.

“Ganga, a big bag of ganga! What must happen if I was pulled over!” the driver asked rhetorically.

At the tail end of September international outlets reported that Uber drivers may unknowingly be acting as mules for illicit substances. There are several reports from drivers in the US who suspect and know they have been transporting drugs, firearms and worse through Uber Connect.

Uber Connect is best described as Uber’s courier service. Users are able to send packages to one another using the network of drivers. The service was launched by Uber in South Africa in 2020.

“We have been working tirelessly to find innovative ways to leverage our technology to make it easier than ever to send packages or items while unlocking additional earning opportunities for drivers on our platform,” general manager for Uber Sub-Saharan Africa, Frans Hiemstra said in 2020.

Of course the service prohibits the transport of illicit items, but how would Uber know if you sent drugs via the platform? Drivers are not allowed to check the contents of a package and users, well they could simply lie about what is being transported.

While Uber says that drivers are able to cancel a trip at any time, there are concerns among some drivers that doing this could anger customers and if the customer happens to be a drug dealer with a bad temperament, that’s a recipe for disaster. Drivers are also under the impression that cancelling a trip counts as a mark against them, a fact Uber denies saying drivers aren’t penalised for not accepting or cancelling trips.

“If any driver suspects illegal activity, we encourage them to report it to both law enforcement and Uber. Drivers can cancel a delivery at any time if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable, and will not be penalised in any way,” Uber Sub-Saharan Africa’s senior operations manager for safety, Collen Mphabantsi told Hypertext.

When hearing the Uber driver’s tale above, we grew concerned. What would happen in the event that a driver is pulled over and the package they were transporting contained drugs, firearms or another illicit item?

We contacted Uber Sub-Saharan Africa which told us of a feature it calls Proof of Trip.

“Uber has launched a Proof of Trip Status feature to address this issue across all Sub-Saharan African markets. Drivers would be able to show law enforcement or relevant authorities that they are only transporting parcels, and that they do not know anything regarding the source or ownership. In this way, if there is a case number, Uber would be able to share the sender’s details for further investigations,” Mphabantsi told us.

“Uber has a law enforcement relations team, which in some instances include former law enforcement professionals who are on call to work with police 24/7 to assist in an investigation,” he added.

Of course, this isn’t a perfect solution but it should at the very least help the driver explain why they may have drugs or illegal firearms in their vehicle during a search. That having been said, three Uber drivers we’ve spoken to are of the opinion that this is not enough and the Proof of Trip would only come into play when they had already been arrested. This is even more of a problem for local drivers because, as we’ve reported before, many drivers have to meet extreme targets just to break even.

While talking to one driver under condition of anonymity, we were told that one of the reasons Uber Connect may be being used to ferry illicit items is Uber’s reputation. The background checks and other verification methods Uber uses before drivers are accepted onto the platform are incredible extensive and these checks happen annually. Because of these checks, law enforcement may not be as eager to check Uber drivers.

Anecdotally speaking we’ve experienced this, with many Uber rides we’ve been in simply being waved through roadblocks or told to move on once the officer discovers the vehicle is being used for Uber. This is however, just our experience in Johannesburg and this may not be the case for all drivers.

How Uber solves this problem is unclear. Allowing drivers to check a package could compromise the safety of both parties and trust can be abused. Uber’s rules for Connect are rather extensive but again, trust can be abused and because there are no checks between the package reaching the driver, this system can be abused.

As mentioned this situation isn’t unique to South Africa and we wouldn’t be surprised to hear of Uber culling this offering in future given the risk it presents to drivers.

It’s at this point that we should mention that sending illicit items via Uber Connect is a terrible idea. For one, Uber has access to your financial information and as a result, a direct line to your identity. Another aspect of this is that Uber can track your device and by extension you. And just so that it’s clear, Uber does work with law enforcement.

“Using the Uber platform for illegal activity is expressly prohibited, and we take reports of drug deliveries via Uber Connect very seriously. When we receive this type of report, our safety team investigates and may take actions ranging from deactivating the relevant account to reporting the issue to law enforcement,” Mphabantsi told Hypertext.

“The misuse of transportation platforms to deliver illicit drugs is an industry-wide issue, and we will continue partnering with law enforcement to address it,” added the manager.

Ignorance is also no excuse as the onus is on the sender to verify what items can and can’t be delivered through Connect. As of time of writing this list includes but is not limited to:

• Illegal items;
• Firearms, weaponry, and their parts;
• Alcohol;
• Highly perishable food or beverages (e.g. raw meat or dairy products), pharmaceutical products, over-the-counter medications, vitamins or supplements;
• Recreational drugs, drug paraphernalia, or tobacco products;
• Money, giftcards, lottery tickets or transferable securities;
• Dangerous or hazardous items, including explosives, items that are poisonous or flammable, medical waste and other dangerous or hazardous items as described in the applicable regulations;
• Stolen goods and;
• Fragile items.

As for the driver who unknowingly transported a bag of marijuana, he told us he’s not comfortable working with Uber Connect anymore and won’t accept trips for deliveries.

“Sometimes the client even takes a photo of your car before they leave. It’s very scary because if you are transporting drugs, they have all of your information. Uber must rather stop this service,” the driver said as I arrived at my destination.