Died with Her Secret

My heart is with Habiba Al-Shamaa’s mother. My heart is with this woman who lost her daughter who jumped out of a car last February after fearing a kidnapping attempt. She sustained serious injuries and went remained unconscious due to a brain hemorrhage. 

No one knows why Habiba jumped out of the car, I hope that we think about this painful accident and put in place laws and legislation, especially after the urgent statement in the House of Representatives to open the files of smart transportation companies and demand drivers to do drug tests before appointing them.

I believe that all cars that transport people should have audio and video cameras so that we know what is going on inside them, as this would protect the passenger, the company and the driver too. In Europe, when I talk to the driver, he tells me that the conversations and actions inside the car are monitored by the company’s administration. We must set personal conditions for the driver, and he must take courses in behavior, rational driving, and dealing with the passenger. A sign must be placed in a clear place that everyone can see, he also must consider the car as a taxi, not his property. 

We use these applications and trust them, and our sons and daughters use them. These applications started off strong and promising with commitment, cleanliness, and acceptable prices, but over the time the service turned from bad to worse, with no training for drivers and no adherence to the rules, and now anyone has a car can work with these companies. These companies now don't give attention to the driver’s criminal status. In the case of Habiba, for example, the driver has a criminal record, including a drug history. So how does the company accept his work with it, and how does it trust him, especially girls and women could ride with him?.

There is also no interest in the condition of the cars that should be modern, have air conditioning, and  in good shape. Instead of developing the service, it turned into a disaster. What Habiba was exposed to, required a statement from the company about the results of its investigations, but the statement was weak and did not include any measures that had been taken. The company only said that it is deeply saddened over what happened, and is cooperating with the investigating authorities to ensure that all measures are taken over the painful incident. 

This incident represents a warning bell that should not go unnoticed and habiba's soul should not ascend to its creator with its secret. I hope that the laws regulating the work of these companies will be issued as soon as possible.