In 2018 Taxify faced a lot of backlash from users, particularly women, several of whom reported they had been sexually abused and/or robbed by Taxify drivers. Taxify rebuffs majority of these claims as fake news.
The report states that Taxify user Gloria Nyaruai tweeted that her Taxify driver had attempted to touch her inappropriately during a late-night ride. Taxify acted quickly, contacting Miss Gloria, and by deactivating the driver’s account.
The report further reads, “The investigating agencies contacted both the driver and rider to come forth and make statements. The investigation process was carried out to completion, and the driver was cleared of all wrong doing. As a result, his account was restored. The story was widely picked up by local media and several articles were published on the same. This continued the trend of fake news that has been widely spread, mainly through social media, concerning Taxify and its activities in the country. In this instance, the rider took down their tweet once the driver filed a statement and the police tried to contact her”
Taxify goes on to point out a similar incident that occurred earlier in 2018 where a rider accused her driver of attempted kidnapping. She later admitted to making up the story in order to satisfy a dare by her friends.
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“As Taxify, we would like to express our extreme concern and disappointment that this trend of fake news has continued to permeate both online and mainstream media without consideration for the effect it may have on the business and Taxify’s driver partners,” The company adds. “Additionally, the stories are never followed up (denying us the right of reply) and as a result, the public image left lingering is one with negative connotations. This not only has adverse effects on the company, but more importantly on the drivers. The numerous stories published leave drivers unable to earn a living by driving on the platform. This occurs through their accounts being deactivated for misconduct, or the lower volumes of rides experienced due to less consumers riding on Taxify.”
These are but a few of such incidents circulating social media. Majority of the drivers on ride hailing apps use Taxify alongside other services, such as Uber, Mondo, among others. However many such incidents are reported of Taxify drivers. It remains a mystery as to whether common courtesy forsakes the drivers only while they are serving Taxify users. Nonetheless, users should refrain from slandering the drivers and the service at large, whether for a laugh, or for whatsoever reason.
