By Dylan Bettencourt
- Uber driver says some testing centres take bribes to pass cars that should fail inspections.
- The driver says low pay and high costs force drivers to cheat just to stay working on Uber.
An Uber driver says some car testing centres are helping drivers cheat the system by taking bribes.
The driver told MyBroadband that inspectors at some centres are paid to pass cars that are not safe. He says some inspectors even change the model year of cars so they can still be used on Uber.
He says bribes can be as high as R2,000. In some cases, drivers pay about R500 just to change paperwork.
“I’ve seen it with my own eyes,” he said. “It doesn’t happen everywhere, but it’s happening more often.”
Uber drivers must submit a car inspection every year to prove their vehicles are roadworthy. But the driver says many people are under serious pressure.
He says Uber pays less than before, there are fewer trips and renting a car is very expensive.
“Uber tells us to upgrade our cars, but our pay keeps going down,” he said. “This December I earned half of what I earned last year.”
Because of this, he says some drivers skip fixing their cars or pay bribes just to stay active on the app. He says he refuses to do that.
“The whole industry is rotten,” he said. “If you don’t play along, you don’t survive.”
He also says Uber knows about the problem but does nothing. He says he sent proof to the company.
“They called me once, then went quiet,” he said. “They know what’s going on.”
Uber said it takes safety seriously and will investigate any wrongdoing. The inspection company involved also said it needs more details to look into the claims.
Pictured above: Uber.
Image source: File
