Uber customer stabbed in face

Uber South Africa was dealing with yet another driver incident after a customer was stabbed in the face in Melville on Sunday night as he was entering an Uber vehicle.

South African musician Jack Parrow took to social media to share an image of his badly injured friend, Dirk Agenbag, saying he believed the assailant was involved in the meter taxi drivers’ apparent war against Uber drivers.

“Now, I mean, he is the most chilled guy and I can’t imagine he would have made someone that angry that they go and stab him, and [Agenbag] said he was not trying to rob him. As far as I can see, it must be someone from the taxi industry. That’s the only logical explanation,” Parrow told The Citizen.

Agenbag, who was reportedly stabbed three times in the face, said he could not take interviews as he was in hospital.

Parrow said that what made the incident more traumatising was that the Uber driver allegedly told Agenbag to get out of the vehicle and left him stranded, injured and alone.

“To add insult to injury, he says the driver told him to get out of the car because he was bleeding all over the seat. So, he left my friend stranded next to the road and he had to get his girlfriend’s dad to pick him up and take him to hospital.”

“This is a distressing situation that needs thorough investigation,” Uber spokesperson Samantha Allenberg said in a statement.

“Our incident response team is reaching out to all parties and will provide whatever support is necessary. We will support the police in their investigation in any way that we can.”

When asked whether the driver was obligated to assist Agenbag according to Uber’s policy, the firm refused to answer and referred to the company’s “strict community guidelines”.

The guidelines made no specific reference to a standard procedure when a rider is attacked or injured.

It, instead, has a blanket policy regarding discrimination and when drivers are not allowed to refuse to serve a customer. Allenberg said Uber remained committed to the safety of all who used the Uber app. – simnikiweh@citizen.co.za