It is a matter of time before one of us is killed – these ominous words were uttered by a former Uber driver who now manages a fleet of vehicles for e-hailing service Bolt in the metro.

Drivers in the e-hailing industry in Nelson Mandela Bay are being targeted by robbers and hijackers, with the number of reported incidents increasing sharply in the last two months. Though the drivers have panic button apps on their phones, by the time help arrives, it is usually too late. The robbers have come and gone. As a result of the potentially life-threatening trend, many drivers have quit the e-hailing industry...