Tottenham stabbing: Partner of killed Bolt driver demands safety changes

Private-hire driver Gabriel Bringye was stabbed in his car on 17 February 2021

The partner of a Bolt driver who was stabbed to death in north London is demanding better security measures.

Twelve months on from Gabriel Bringye's death, Mariana Fazecas told BBC London that "common-sense health and safety measures still are not in place".

Mr Bringye, 37, was found in his car in Tottenham. The vehicle was recorded by the Bolt app as stationary but also showed his job ongoing for 344 minutes.

The fare-hailing firm said it had introduced automated welfare checks.

Five teenagers are currently on trial at the Old Bailey over the killing. David Adeyanju, 18, of Golders Green, and four boys aged between 16 and 17, deny murder and manslaughter.

Mariana Fazecas said her partner was a "very funny, energetic man"

The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) said no alert mechanism was triggered, as it launched Gabriel's Campaign for Driver Safety.

Speaking ahead of a vigil on the anniversary of Mr Bringye's killing, Ms Fazecas said she had not only lost him but "her heart and her future".

"It still is a nightmare, I can't believe it is true," she said. "I hope that it is just a bad dream still. Gabriel was a very funny, energetic man. He was not worried about his life until that day [he died]."

She said that Mr Bringye would "stand up for other people", adding she was trying to make sure "this never happens again".

IWGB's Nader Awaad said private-hire drivers deserved to "feel safe in their place of work".

He called on Bolt to introduce "proper sick pay, customer ID checks and a functioning support line for drivers".

'SOS button'

In response, Bolt said it offered condolences to Mr Bringye's family on the anniversary of his death.

A spokesman said the company had improved safety protection for drivers.

"Our in-app SOS button can be deployed by drivers immediately and connects directly to the emergency services and Bolt's safety team," he said.

"In the past year we have introduced new welfare checks on static vehicles and 24/7 support both in-app and on the phone.

"We have also significantly increased the size of our safety team, who focus on removing passengers with consistently poor driver feedback from our platform."