Rideshare: How to ensure your safety

A taxi. (Photo/GettyImages)

Application based transportation has gained popularity with travellers. The business model allows customer to book or schedule their rides using mobile applications. 

Uber, Bolt and little cab are now popular with many travellers due to take convenience of “hailing a taxi from the comfort zone of your mobile phone or computer. 

With the new transport mode, is also a cheaper way of travelling as opposed to the traditional use of a cab while travelling to new places – rideshare. 

Here are some safety tips you should keep in mind before, during and even after the ride to avoid dangerous and unsafe situations.

Share your trip

Monica Adhiambo says that when travelling alone, especially at night, she always shares her trip with her relatives, and friends. 

“It is the easiest and quickest way to let someone track your whereabouts in case something happens during your ride,” says Adhiambo.

If anything happens, the person you have shared your trip with will get a notification to their phone and be able to follow along via GPS. 

She says to do this, the rider taps on the “share trip status” option with the App service provider followed by “share ride details” option.

Many riders often overlook the rideshare safety precaution, though it is an important step to take.

Also, giving a rating of the driver at the end of the trip is a safety measure as it keeps off the bad drivers off the road, while keeping the good ones on the road. 

Don't share personal information

Though there is no harm in having a banter with your driver, be careful not to give your personal information such as how long you are travelling, where you live, your location or any other contact and personal information that may jeopardise your safety. 

Always book your ride keeping your safety in mind – from a safe location to avoid attracting attention or having to linger around an unsafe place with your phone out

Mary Njambi shares a story of how her friend found herself in the wrong car because she did not take time to confirm the name of the driver and the vehicle details which always come with the booking.

It ended with her being robbed and damped in an unfamiliar location. A safety measure would be to ask the driver the name of the passenger before getting in the car. Do not say your name first. 

Also check the driver rating which is given by the service provider on a scale of one to five. If you are travelling alone, always take the back seat.