Cameroon’s connected taxis promised progress — users got anxiety 🇨🇲🚕

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They were meant to make urban travel easier, cut down waiting times on the roadside, and modernize mobility in Cameroon. Faster. More convenient. Sometimes cheaper. But today, ride-hailing apps, WhatsApp taxi groups, Facebook-shared driver contacts, and trips negotiated via private messages are fueling a growing sense of collective anxiety. Behind the promise of digital convenience, unease is spreading fast.

Across social media, reports of assaults, scams, and alleged disappearances linked to so-called “connected” taxis are multiplying, creating a climate of mistrust and heightened security concerns.

“You no longer get in with peace of mind” 😟

Fear is no longer abstract. It’s spoken, documented, and shared. One woman’s story posted online quickly sparked hundreds of comments highlighting just how widespread the problem has become. On Facebook groups, WhatsApp chats, and TikTok videos, similar accounts keep piling up.

Passengers describe rides that suddenly change direction without explanation, drivers who cut off mobile data mid-trip, or situations where riders find themselves surrounded by other motorcycles or vehicles. For many users, the connected taxi experience has taken a dark turn.

“Now, whenever I order a taxi online, I alert someone. I share my live location and track the ride in real time. It’s no longer just transportation — it’s a survival strategy,” says Nadine, a corporate professional.

Alain, a university student, describes a constant sense of tension fueled by both personal experiences and stories he’s heard from others. He now avoids nighttime rides altogether and sometimes chooses to stay overnight wherever he is if it gets too late.

“You’re watching the driver, the road, your phone — all at once. You’re never relaxed. Transportation has become a source of stress,” he explains.

Disturbingly similar stories ⚠️

What stands out in the flood of online testimonies is how similar they are. Same patterns. Same areas. Same tactics. Several users report being robbed after accepting rides arranged through social media. Others speak of attempted abductions, thinly veiled threats, or unsettling behavior that leaves them deeply uncomfortable.

“The driver already knows where you live because when he calls, you tell him where you are and where you’re going. This should be a serious wake-up call,” one commenter warns.

Rose shared a particularly harrowing experience on Facebook:

“I was on my way to the hospital with my mother, who had suffered a stroke and is partially paralyzed. The driver asked us to get out before reaching our destination, claiming he had another request. I asked how I was supposed to manage with my hemiplegic mother. He said it wasn’t his problem.

I told him we would only get out at the destination selected in the app. He got out of the car, opened my door, and violently ordered me to leave the vehicle. Luckily, people sitting nearby stepped in and defended us.”

Other accounts mention fake profiles, recycled phone numbers, and driver photos that don’t match the person behind the wheel. The lack of real traceability only deepens the fear. Screenshots circulate widely, warnings spread rapidly — sometimes without verification, but always driven by the same underlying anxiety.

Anger at a system with no oversight 🔥

Beyond fear, frustration is boiling over. Users are denouncing what they see as a total absence of regulation. No clear legal framework. No platform that can truly be held accountable. No visible authority to file complaints or follow up when things go wrong.

“We report, we post, we raise alarms — and then what? Nothing. No follow-up. It feels like people’s lives don’t matter,” says Rodrigue, an entrepreneur.

For many, the issue isn’t technology itself, but how chaotically it’s being deployed. Users feel abandoned in a digital jungle where everyone is left to fend for themselves.

A traditional taxi driver interviewed for this report shares the same concern.

 “Many of these connected taxis aren’t registered or identifiable. Anyone can grab a car and call themselves a driver. In the end, customers pay the price, and it discredits the entire profession,” he says.

When modernity creates more fear than trust 🚕

Connected taxis were supposed to symbolize smarter, smoother cities. Instead, they are increasingly seen as the opposite: a form of progress without guardrails, digital tools that expose rather than protect, and a society moving forward without safety nets.

In Cameroon today, ordering a taxi online is no longer a routine action. It’s a calculated decision — sometimes feared, often debated. And as long as there are no clear answers, fear will continue to travel faster than the cars themselves.

One thing is now clear: digital mobility without rules or accountability doesn’t bring people closer together. It isolates them in mistrust. And when getting from point A to point B requires courage, the very promise of technological progress begins to crack. After being ignored for too long, users end up accepting fear as the new normal.

Your opinions matter !!
Have you ever experienced or witnessed a worrying situation with a connected taxi in Cameroon?

🗣️ Your testimony can help raise awareness and bring about change.