PRIVATE hire drivers launched a campaign for protection from violence today as they marked the first anniversary of the murder of a driver whose body was left undiscovered for hours in his cab.

Gabriel Bringye, 37, was working for app-based cab firm Bolt when he was stabbed and killed on London’s Jarrow Road in Tottenham, on February 17 2021.

For more than five hours his cab was recorded as “stationary” and his job “ongoing” after the attack by teenagers. The cab had no mechanism to trigger an alert.

Yet his partner Mariana Fazecas said “common-sense health and safety measures are still not in place” as his family, friends and work colleagues staged a vigil yesterday near the site of his death.

Mr Bringye was a member of the Independent Workers of Great Britain union (IWGB), which, with his family and in his name, have launched Gabriel’s Campaign for Driver Safety.

The campaign wants Bolt to introduce full sick pay for drivers injured at work; subsidised security equipment, including partitions and CCTV; basic customer ID with password protection; and an effective complaints and support system for drivers.

The IWGB also wants union recognition and regular negotiations on safety issues.

The union says Bolt was recently valued at £6 billion and is rapidly expanding.

Ms Fazecas said: “When Gabriel was killed I lost my partner, my heart and my future. I miss him every minute.

“A year after his death we should not still have to worry that other drivers’ lives are at risk because these common-sense health and safety measures are still not in place.

“Gabriel was always ready to stand up for others, so Gabriel’s Campaign for Driver Safety seems like the perfect way to honour him.”

IWGB said workplace violence and abuse are commonplace for private hire drivers, most of whom are black and ethnic minority, with 70 per cent reporting being assaulted while working.

A Bolt spokesperson said: “This was a shocking incident and a senseless tragedy, and we offer our condolences to Gabriel’s family and friends on the anniversary of his tragic death. 

“Our in-app SOS button can be deployed by drivers immediately and connects directly to the emergency services and Bolt’s safety team.

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