Campaign launches on murder anniversary

The IWGB union launched a new driver safety campaign on the anniversary of the death of Gabriel Bringye, a private hire driver who was murdered while working for the Bolt platform in February 2021.

The campaign calls on Bolt to introduce full sick pay for drivers injured at work; subsidised security equipment such as partitions and CCTV; basic customer ID with password protection; and a properly functioning complaints and support system for drivers. It also demands that Bolt recognises the IWGB and commits to ongoing consultation on safety issues.

“Every driver deserves to feel safe in their place of work but a year since Gabriel’s tragic murder the threat of abuse, harassment and violence is still a daily part of the job and multi-billion pound corporations like Bolt still neglect even the most rudimentary safety measures,” said United Private Hire Drivers (IWGB) chair Nader Awaad.

The Bolt app recorded Bringye’s vehicle as stationary and his job ongoing for 344 minutes after he died, with no alert mechanism being triggered. Following public pressure, the company introduced an automated welfare check, but drivers say there is still a long way to go before they feel safe and properly protected.

https://iwgb.org.uk/en/post/iwgb-launches-campaign-for-driver-safety-on-anniversary-of-gabriel-bringyes-murder