A disturbing trend has emerged in Nigeria and South Africa, where riders on platforms like Uber and Bolt are intentionally cancelling rides after drivers have arrived at pickup locations, leading to a waste of effort and resources.
South Africans are seen in posts on X, initiating false orders and mocking drivers who have fallen victim to such schemes. The motive behind this trend can be largely attributed to a time rivalry between the two countries recently sparked by Beauty model Chidimma Adetshina who faced backlash and xenophobic attacks after withdrawing from the Miss South Africa pageant due to a nationality dispute and deciding to compete for Miss Universe Nigeria instead.
This new practice started by South Africans is exacerbating the financial struggles of Nigerian drivers, who are already facing high fuel costs and economic hardship.
Nigerians have responded by doing the same and have taken it further by engaging South African drivers in actual conversations, with unrealistic locations that are impossible to find.
Some Nigerian passengers have made disturbing requests, including inquiries about human trafficking services.
This new practice has raised questions about the safety measures ride-hailing platforms like Uber and Bolt have put in place to prevent fraudulent bookings. While cross-border ride-hailing offers convenience, platforms like Uber and Bolt must improve their analytics and policies to prevent fraudulent bookings.
