from India
WORLDWIDE TAXI FOCUS from South Africa
INSIDE INDIA’S ALL-FEMALE ELECTRIC CAB SERVICE
FOUR ARRESTED AFTER DASHCAM CAPTURES MURDER OF BOLT DRIVER
For many women in India, travelling from point A to point B often comes with a side of anxiety, involving shared live locations and constant vigilance. Fery Rides, an all-electric mobility platform founded in 2023, is working to change that narrative by ensuring both the drivers and the passengers are exclusively women. A recent viral Instagram video has put the service in the spotlight, showing a “Sister Partner” - one of the platform’s trained female drivers - explaining how the system prioritises security. The app was born out of a need to dismantle the everyday stress women face due to unpredictable driver behaviour and the lack
of trustworthy
alternatives. By employing women to drive women, the company creates a unique ecosystem where “mobility should be safe, reliable, and free from anxiety.” Beyond just a ride-sharing app, it serves as a career path for women seeking financial independence without the safety compromises often found in the gig economy. The service is tech-forward and eco-friendly, featuring an all-electric fleet equipped with cameras and real- time tracking. Fery Rides offers specialised features like “Scheduled Rides” for daily commuters to avoid surge pricing and “City Rentals” for those running errands or heading to brunch. Ultimately, the platform is shifting the conversation from “How fast can I get there?” to “How safe and predictable will my journey be?” It is a model built on empathy and a deep understanding of the lived experiences of women on the road.
PHTM MARCH 2026
Three South Africans have been charged with murder follow- ing the killing of an Bolt driver, the manner of whose death, captured on dashcam footage, has shocked many people. A video shared widely on social media shows a man and a woman tussling with the driver, Isaac Satlat, who they appeared to be robbing. Satlat tries to fight back before one of the passengers appears to strangle him until he goes limp. The trio, Dikeledi Mphela, 24, Goitsione Machidi, 25 and McClaren Mushwana, 30, attended court in Pretoria last month. A fourth suspect later handed himself in. All four also face robbery charges. According to prosecutors, the accused ordered the ride using a number not registered in any of their names. When the car arrived, Mphela and the fourth suspect allegedly got into the car while Machidi and Mushwana followed behind in a separate car. They then “forced the deceased to stop the vehicle, strangled him and robbed him of his cell phone and vehicle which was later recovered.” There has been a growing number of reports of e- hailing drivers coming under attack in South Africa, with many drivers calling for greater protection, as the country grapples with high crime levels and one of the highest murder rates in the world. The e-hailing partners’ council condemned Satlat’s killing, adding that it was not an “isolated incident”. The organisation praised the role that the dashcam footage and social media played in capturing his murder but reiterated calls for “preventative security measures” to better protect drivers. It also called on e- hailing companies to “vet and verify passengers to prevent criminals masquerading as customers”. Numerous political parties and e-hailing drivers gathered outside the court house to protest against Satlat’s murder. One driver called for the government to set up a task team to deal with the attacks on them. He also called for the establishment of a system to compensate the families of drivers killed on the job.
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