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Taxify moves to eject fraudulent drivers using GPS to steal from customers

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 16 – Taxify in Kenya has removed from their system drivers accused of fraud following an extensive driver audit.

This follows reports that some drivers were exploiting a loophole in the GPS system that allowed fares to hike compared to the estimated fare.

The company has also issued a warning to drivers to underline that attempts to manipulate the platform will result in an automatic deactivation of their driver account.

“Our system regularly identifies drivers who try to abuse the GPS system, after which they are automatically deactivated from the platform,” said Shivachi Muleji, General Manager.

Muleji said updates to the system now make it impossible for drivers to deactivate the location feature when using the application.

The company also urged its passengers to always report when there’s a difference between the fare estimates and the actual the price.

“All trips are monitored in real time and we encourage passengers to report on overcharges and the whole rider experience,” says Alex Mwaura, Country Manager.

He further explains that, in cases where there is a genuine GPS glitch that did not occur as a result of any action or inaction on the part of the driver, a fare review solution is in place to address this.

Drivers are also able to submit a trip to fare review, where one of the Taxify customer support agents reviews the trip and recalculates the fare based on the distance covered as well as time taken during that trip.

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“If the fare at the end of the trip is different from what you expected, all the passenger has to do is to write to us through our in-app support function within the Taxify rider application or send us an email on nairobi@taxify.eu with the details of the trip, such as pick-up location, date and time of the trip and the expected fare,” he explains.

Once the trip is reviewed, the correct fare is communicated to both the rider and the driver. In the event of an overcharge, the difference is then refunded to the passenger within 7 business days.

Taxify also reiterates that its standard practice calls for rigorous and ongoing validation of their tools, processes and systems to ensure that the service brings the highest levels of safety and reliability to customers.

“We do not admit drivers whose PCC is not cleared. A clear PCC is also a requirement to receive a PSV DL. We verify all PSV DLs from new joiners with the NTSA to ensure they are legitimate. Cars have to have an NTSA inspection certificate, valid PSV Insurance and the log book. This is to ensure the driver either owns the vehicle or has the vehicle owner’s permission to use the vehicle on the platform.”

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