INTERVIEW | Greta Borg Bezzina: eCabs raises bar in passenger mobility safety

What does this Passenger Safety Charter mean for eCabs?

We named this Charter ‘eCabs and You’ because at the very heart of this initiative are our customers who choose to trust our service when commuting on the road. The Charter represents a commitment by our company to consistently take proactive measures to ensure the safety of our passengers but also of our drivers with the main aim of promoting a more responsible environment for safer Maltese roads.

From day one, our commitment has not only been that of bringing positive disruption and meaningful change in our sector but also to help raise the bar when it comes to standards across the board. Passenger and driver safety are at the inner core of our services: this is why we decided to go the extra mile and impose on ourselves standards which go beyond those stipulated by the Law.

What does this initiative say about your company?

I think that first and foremost, it shows the high standards we seek to deliver. We have been working on this Passenger Safety Charter for the past months as we researched and sought international best practice to shape this Charter purposely to set the gold-standard for mobility in Malta.

For us, this ‘eCabs & You’ Passenger Safety Charter represents a very important milestone in our journey because it is a direct reflection of all the values that define our eCabs brand. We are constantly seeking to be in touch with what matters most to passengers, drivers and all those with whom we share the road, including pedestrians, cyclists and people in other vehicles.

eCabs is a technology company. To what extent will technology be driving this commitment to safety?

Totally. Technology is today the most intrinsic part of eCabs’ value proposition and this Passenger Safety Charter is enabled by the fact that eCabs remains the only operator that boasts a 24/7 controlled environment with an over-riding safety-first priority.

However, whilst the entire operation is fully technology-driven, eCabs retains an element of manned and logistical control, ensuring constant support for the hundreds of drivers, full control over drivers’ trips, tracking of locations and system access control.

What are the main aspects dealt with in this Safety Charter?

Our ‘eCabs & You’ Safety Charter defines the rights and responsibilities of both the passengers and the drivers, clearly defining the parameters within which a journey is to take place.

The Charter covers all key areas including customer care, health and safety, vehicle sanitisation, driver behaviour, passenger interaction, mutual respect, and emergency protocols.

It is all about setting out the parameters for safe travel guidelines, defining how complaints are handled, promoting the ease of booking through the multichannel booking options with a special highlight on the Company’s ‘Lost & Found’ policy whereby items found in cabs following a drop-off are returned to customers through eCabs’ 24/7 contact centre.

The Charter makes specific reference to passengers’ rights but also responsibilities…

The Charter covers the safety of passengers but also that of drivers. As such, passengers too have responsibilities when they board our cabs and the Charter lists these responsibilities too. There have been many instances when passenger behaviour posed a risk to drivers.

We encourage passengers not to distract drivers when they are driving, to not request over-speeding and to follow the health and safety protocols which we have always promoted and which now form part of our Safety Charter. Passengers will understand better their rights and responsibilities, as well as those of their driver, and benefit from the peace of mind knowing they are trusting a Company where their safety is not a mere hashtag, but a core value.

The sector will hopefully be safer with this Safety Charter…

In fact, we are not only committed to take passenger and driver safety very seriously, but we are doing this to also drive positive action by all other stakeholders including other operators and the general public, to take safety on the road seriously.

Our Passenger Safety Charter is a mutually beneficial tool being enshrined in the fabric of the Company. We are committed to keep on leading the space of passenger safety and trust that our Charter will inspire others in the sector into nurturing a true commitment towards safer roads.