Smart transportation: a safe solution or an imminent danger?

Smart transportation offers multiple advantages for the comfort of its customers, but it requires more safety measures (Al Jazeera)

In the era of modern technology, technology has become an indispensable daily partner in our lives. It is no longer just a luxury, but has become an integral part of our daily lives, providing us with solutions to our problems and making our lives easier like no other.

From mobile phone applications that help us manage daily tasks with ease, to advanced technology that contributes to improving the work environment and increasing productivity, to applications that help families communicate and coordinate effectively. Among these technological developments, smart transportation stands out as an important and safe solution to the problem of transportation and taxis in major cities.

Thanks to applications such as Uber, Careem and Swvl, users can easily request transportation via their smartphones, reducing transportation challenges and providing a safe and reliable way to reach their destination.

These applications also provide customers with many options, starting with choosing the type of car they need and the cost that suits them, such as economical or luxury cars or large trucks. In addition to flexible payment options through many different methods, such as cash or credit cards, which removes the burden of negotiating the fare, as is the case with taxis.

In addition to that, safety is one of the parents’ priorities when it comes to their children’s transportation. They track the journey's path to its end themselves, which gives them a kind of reassurance. Despite the advantages offered by these companies, they are not without disadvantages, such as the company not verifying the background of drivers well, which does not fully guarantee the safety of passengers.

Also technical problems during the trip, such as internet connection loss or application crash, which may lead to flight delay or cancellation. and the inaccurate ratings that drivers sometimes receive. And personal safety: Despite the procedures that these companies follow to ensure the safety of passengers, they do not guarantee you complete protection from all the risks and challenges that you may face during your trip.

Daily risks

In recent days, news has spread in Egypt of the death of the girl, Habiba Al-Shamaa, who jumped from one of the smart transportation vehicles linked to a popular electronic application, which she took from her residence in “Madinaty,” after she suspected that the driver was trying to kidnap her, as she told one of the eyewitnesses. After she threw herself from the car on the Suez Road in Cairo.

The official Ministry of Interior statement confirmed that “the driver, who resides in Giza Governorate, has been identified and arrested.” When confronted, he admitted that he closed the car windows and sprayed perfume. When he was surprised by the young woman jumping out of the car, he continued walking, and did not stop for fear of being harmed, and legal measures were taken against him.

Can daily trips that are safe for parents turn into a risk that causes them constant anxiety?

Habiba died after a coma that lasted 21 days, after her health condition deteriorated.

Is it normal for a girl to jump out of a speeding car just because the driver decided to spray some perfume and turn up the music? Did the driver intentionally frighten her even if he was not going to kidnap her?

Would she have risked her life if she didn't feel she was in real danger? Is Habiba Al-Shamaa the first victim of smart transportation companies?

Multiple victims

The Habiba Al-Shamaa accident is not the first accident for smart transportation companies. Rather, it was preceded by multiple incidents that led to one of the major companies being prevented from operating in many cities around the world for various reasons, after it was confirmed that passenger safety was not the first criterion for these companies, but rather expansion and economic profit.

The most famous of these incidents are the Philadelphia and Delhi incidents. In 2019, an Egyptian driver was convicted in America of raping a woman while she was drunk after she rode with him from a casino near the city of Philadelphia. The driver extended the trip from 15 minutes to 53 minutes to assault her in the back seat. The driver was convicted of raping and sexually assaulting an unconscious woman.

In 2015, an Indian court sentenced a taxi driver to life imprisonment for raping a passenger, intimidating her, and endangering her life while she was returning home, which is the longest prison sentence for rape. It was revealed after his conviction that he was accused of assaulting other women, even though he had no previous convictions.

This incident received international attention, prompting officials in Delhi to ban several other taxi companies for several months, accusing them of failing to conduct adequate checks on drivers.

We have always believed that with scientific and technological progress, people will have greater safety and comfort.

But we still hear and see frightening events every day, and even the search for comfortable means of transportation does not limit them. Will we ever be able to guarantee societal safety? Will a person be able to get rid of the evil rooted within him, his harmful desires that push him to harm those weaker than him or even try to frighten them in order to please their sick souls?

Actually.. I doubt it.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Al Jazeera.