Passengers who use ride-hailing platforms in Ghana are being warned about the growing risks associated with “offline trips,” where drivers ask riders to cancel a trip on the app and continue the journey privately.
Industry observers say this practice, which occurs on several ride-hailing platforms including Uber, Yango, Bolt, and Shaxi, exposes both passengers and drivers to serious safety and cybersecurity threats.
Normally, ride-hailing apps provide built-in protections such as GPS tracking, trip records, and emergency features that help monitor journeys in real time. However, when a trip is cancelled and the ride continues privately outside the platform, those protections disappear.
Cybersecurity analysts warn that once a trip goes offline, the platform can no longer monitor the vehicle’s location. This means the ride’s GPS tracking stops immediately, removing a critical safety layer that allows family members, friends, or authorities to track a passenger’s journey if an emergency occurs.
Another major concern is the absence of digital records. Ride-hailing apps typically store important trip data including driver identity, route information, trip duration, and payment records. If a ride continues outside the app, there is no official digital evidence showing that the journey ever took place.
Security experts say this lack of traceability could complicate investigations if crimes such as robbery, assault, or fraud occur during the trip.
Drivers are sometimes motivated to request offline trips to avoid platform commissions or to negotiate higher fares directly with passengers. However, experts caution that this practice undermines the safety systems built into ride-hailing technology.
Transportation safety advocates are urging passengers to refuse requests for offline rides and instead complete their trips through the app so that location tracking and digital records remain active.
They also recommend that users verify driver details and share their trip status with trusted contacts using the safety features provided within the ride-hailing apps.
As ride-hailing services continue to expand across cities in Ghana, cybersecurity professionals say maintaining in-app tracking and digital documentation of every ride is critical for protecting passengers and drivers alike.
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