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Rabat – The killing of an InDrive driver last week has sparked widespread outrage among ride-hailing drivers in Morocco. The incident renewed urgent calls for stronger safety measures and better protection for operators working on the platform, including stricter identity verification for passengers.
The victim, a young man from Sidi Taibi working as an InDrive driver, was found dead in Dar Bouaaza near Casablanca on Sunday. According to his family, he had left home earlier in the week for work after accepting trips through the ride-hailing application and later went missing. The Royal Gendarmerie reportedly contacted the family afterward to inform them of his death.
Preliminary assumptions suggest that the driver may have been targeted by individuals who posed as passengers requesting a ride before attacking him, possibly with the intent of robbery. His vehicle has not yet been recovered, according to early reports.
Calls for identity verification for riders
The incident has triggered shock and anger among InDrive drivers, many of whom say they face growing safety risks while working on the platform. Drivers are now urging the company to implement stronger safeguards, particularly mandatory identity verification for riders before trips are accepted.
At present, InDrive requires drivers to submit official identification documents, including national ID cards, driving licenses, and vehicle registration details, to activate and maintain their accounts. Drivers argue that equivalent safety measures should also apply to passengers.
“InDrive respects its customers but not its drivers. It enforces rules on drivers while failing to enforce the same standards on customers,” one driver wrote on social media, echoing a sentiment widely shared across online driver groups.
Following the tragedy, InDrive driver communities have also begun discussing coordinated action, including a possible strike on the platform, to pressure the company into taking stronger safety measures. “It is necessary for us to hold a day of strike and mourning for the soul of the deceased so that the situation at InDrive can improve,” another driver said in a group message shared online.
Other drivers also reported previous incidents in which they were allegedly targeted by passengers using the app under the pretext of booking rides, only to be assaulted or robbed. These accounts have intensified concerns about the lack of effective passenger verification and real-time safety mechanisms.
In response to the incident, InDrive issued an official statement expressing condolences and confirming its cooperation with authorities.
Read also: Morocco’s Taxi Unions Urge HACA to Ban inDrive Ad on Public TV
The company said it had immediately coordinated with security services and relevant authorities and is fully cooperating in the ongoing investigation. InDrive also stated that the safety of drivers and users remains a top priority and said it is monitoring developments closely while remaining ready to provide any assistance or information required by investigators.
The company noted that, due to the sensitivity of the case and respect for judicial proceedings, it would not provide further details at this stage.
However, drivers have argued that the statement does not address their core concerns, particularly the lack of preventive safety measures and passenger accountability. Many say they are still waiting for concrete action rather than expressions of sympathy.
The broader debate around ride-hailing services in Morocco adds further complexity to the issue. Services such as InDrive, Careem, and Yango operate in a legal gray area, as ride-sharing applications are not formally regulated under Moroccan transport law.
This has led to recurring tensions between app-based drivers and traditional taxi operators, who argue that these platforms create unfair competition and operate outside established transport rules.
Disputes between taxi unions and ride-hailing drivers have occasionally escalated in recent years.
