Gabriel's Campaign for Drivers Safety

Markus Villig, Bolt CEO

On 17 February 2021 private hire driver Gabriel Bringye was stabbed while on a job for Bolt.

Its been two years since this tragic murder and Bolt have done very little to implement adequate safety for drivers.

Gabriel's murder was shocking and saddening for all private hire drivers and his family and his community are still traumatised by the experience..

Sadly, Gabriel's murder is not an isolated incident. Four private hire drivers have been stabbed and died in the last few years in London. Thousands of drivers have been physically assaulted while on the job. Many many more have experienced verbal abuse.

These things are related. Some passengers think they can do anything to a driver and no-one will care. Drivers are treated with total disrespect like we are second class citizens. Abuse and violence towards drivers has become accepted as a routine part of the job, with little to no support provided by operators and the authorities. We will take this no longer.

For the safety of private hire drivers and our passengers, we demand that:

  1. Bolt must provide sick pay equivalent to average income for drivers who have been injured at work while they recover.
  2. Bolt must implement the worker status that is being unlawfully denied to drivers. This would provide a vital safety net by providing paid holidays and ending poverty pay.
  3. Bolt must verify customer ID with password protection on the app so that stolen phones cannot be used to order ‘trap jobs’.
  4. Partitions and CCTV should be made available to drivers on all apps at a rate subsidised by licensing authorities and Bolt.
  5. Bolt must introduce and properly staff a functioning complaints system to provide appropriate support for drivers on the job.
  6. Bolt must recognise the IWGB and agree to meet regularly with union representatives to monitor ongoing support and safety improvements.

Gabriel could have been any one of us. Let us stand together for justice for Gabriel and better safety for all drivers.

Sign the petition to call on Bolt CEO Markus Villig to improve safety protections for private hire drivers, and also to be kept updated about the campaign and how you can get involved.

To: Markus Villig, Bolt CEO
From: [Your Name]

Dear Markus Villig,

On 17 February 2021, Bolt driver Gabriel Bringye was murdered while on a job. This tragedy shocked and saddened all of us and has devastated Gabriel's family and community. Its been a year since his death and there has been minimum change towards drivers safety from Bolt.

Sadly, this incident was not an isolated one and has been an ongoing experience for drivers for years. These murders are the most extreme end of what can happen in an industry where abuse and violence by passengers towards drivers is rife. Thousands of drivers have been physically assaulted over the last few years while on the job. Many many more have been verbally abused.

These things are related. Some passengers think they can do anything to a driver and no-one will care. Drivers are treated with total disrespect and like second class citizens. ​Abuse and violence towards drivers has become accepted as a routine part of the job, with little to no support provided by operators, such as Bolt, and the authorities. We will accept this no longer.

For the safety of private hire drivers and our passengers, we demand that:

1. Apps must provide sick pay equivalent to average income for drivers who have been injured at work while they recover.

2. Apps must implement the worker status that is being unlawfully denied to drivers. This would provide a vital safety net by providing paid holidays and ending poverty pay.

3. Apps must verify customer ID with password protection on the app so that stolen phones cannot be used to order ‘trap jobs’.

4. Partitions and CCTV should be made available to drivers on all apps at a rate subsidised by licensing authorities and operator apps.

5. Apps must introduce and properly staff a functioning complaints system to provide appropriate support for drivers on the job.

6. Apps must recognise the IWGB and agree to meet regularly with union representatives to monitor ongoing support and safety improvements.

Bolt must also commit to providing support and compensation to Gabriel's family.

We expect to hear promptly from you regarding these demands and steps you will take to improve driver safety.

Yours sincerely,