Safety & Community Guidelines

EcoCommute SA is built on trust between commuters. These guidelines help keep our community safe and respectful for everyone.

Community Standards

All EcoCommute SA users are expected to:

• Be respectful — treat everyone with courtesy, regardless of background.
• Communicate clearly — be upfront about pickup locations, timing, and any changes to plans.
• Be punctual — respect other people's time. If you're running late or need to cancel, let your ride partner know as soon as possible.
• Keep it appropriate — no harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or inappropriate behaviour of any kind.
• Drive safely — follow all road rules, don't use your phone while driving, and never drive under the influence.

Zero Tolerance

We have zero tolerance for harassment, threats, violence, discrimination, or any behaviour that makes another user feel unsafe. Accounts that violate these standards will be removed from the platform.

Safety Tips for Riders

• Check the driver's profile — look at their rating, reviews, trust badge, and completed trips before requesting a ride.
• Share your trip details — tell a friend or family member who you're riding with, the route, and your expected arrival time.
• Meet in a public place — for your first ride with a new driver, choose a well-lit, public pickup point.
• Trust your instincts — if something doesn't feel right, don't get in the car. You can always cancel.
• Wear your seatbelt — always.

Safety Tips for Drivers

• Review rider profiles — check ratings and reviews before accepting a request.
• Keep your vehicle safe — ensure your car is registered, insured, and roadworthy.
• Stick to your route — don't deviate significantly from the planned corridor without agreement.
• Don't drive tired or impaired — if you're not fit to drive, cancel the ride.

If You Feel Unsafe

If you experience or witness unsafe behaviour that is not an immediate emergency:

• End the trip if possible and move to a safe location.
• Use the block and report feature on the ride detail page (three-dot menu) to report the user.
• Contact us at tech2urdoor@gmail.com with details of the incident.

How Blocking & Reporting Works

• Blocking — when you block a user, neither of you will see each other's rides or requests. You can unblock users at any time from your blocked users settings.
• Reporting — reports are confidential. You can report for harassment, inappropriate behaviour, safety concerns, spam, or other reasons. All reports are reviewed and appropriate action is taken.

How We Build Trust

EcoCommute SA has several features to help you make informed decisions:

• Mutual ratings — both drivers and riders rate each other after every completed trip.
• Trust badges — users earn badges based on their rating history: New Member, Trusted (5+ ratings), and Highly Trusted (10+ ratings).
• Detailed profiles — driver profiles show vehicle details, ratings, reviews, and trip history.
• Review tags — quick feedback tags like “Felt safe”, “Punctual”, and “Good communication” help you assess at a glance.

Questions?

If you have questions about safety or these guidelines, reach out at tech2urdoor@gmail.com or visit our Contact page.