Koogle’ s Fair Treatment and Respect Policy Drivers & Riders

Discrimination

Driver or Rider, we should all always feel safe and welcome. That’s why discrimination of any sort is not tolerated. Be respectful regardless of differences in culture, language, religion, accents, gender and speech patterns, disability, age, colour, marital status, national origin, race, sex or sexual orientation, treat each other with dignity and respect.

Inappropriate behaviour, Physical Contact, and sexual assault

Hitting, hurting, or intending to hurt anyone is never allowed. Everyone is expected to always respect each other’s personal space and privacy. Below are some examples of inappropriate behaviours, but is not limited to:

Do not touch or flirt with anyone while you are working
Do not make comments or behave inappropriately that can make the other person uncomfortable such as, whistling, nudging, winking and sexual gestures
Be always professional to avoid awkward situation as certain conversations may seem harmless but could be perceived as offensive by other party
Do not ask unrelated personal questions about the other person
Avoid discussing or commenting on your own or other person’s sexual life
Sexual assault or sexual harassment or sexual misconduct of any kind is prohibited
Threatening, rude, disrespectful, aggressive, confrontational, and harassing behaviour is not allowed
Remain calm, don’t lose temper to avoid any argument
Speak clearly for passenger to understand
Don’t take any insults or offensive language seriously.

Zero Tolerance for Drugs & Alcohol

Koogle does not tolerate the use of drugs or alcohol by drivers while using the platform.
What leads to deactivation? Anyone that drives on the platform having used. drugs or alcohol will have their account deactivated. Koogle may also deactivate the account of a driver who receives several unconfirmed complaints of drug or alcohol use.

Use of dash cams that record video and/or audio

Depending on your local laws and regulations, drivers may choose to install and use a dashcam, which can be used to record rides and provide evidence to Koogle, law enforcement, or insurance companies in the event that something goes wrong on a ride. Please note the following:

Riders entering a rideshare vehicle with a dashcam may be concerned about how the video, their image, or conversations captured by a dashcam will be used. In some locations, local laws and regulations require that a rider provide consent to being recorded. Please check your local laws to understand your responsibilities.
Drivers may submit recordings to Koogle at their discretion and subject to local laws and regulations. Koogle will review submitted footage and take all action consistent with the Community Guidelines and platform terms of use.
Sharing or streaming a person's image or audio or video recording on social media or in other digital or physical public locations is a violation of our Community Guidelines and may prompt further investigation by our safety teams.

Soliciting and touting

Ride-share vehicle drivers are prohibited from offering a passenger service to individuals without a prior booking. Drivers should only allow passengers to enter their vehicles under specific circumstances in where the passenger has made a booking via the app.

Definition of touting and soliciting

Touting and soliciting refer to the direct approach of individuals to offer a passenger service. This includes:

#Approaching potential passengers to offer transportation services.

#Calling out to people to inquire if they require transportation.

#Approaching potential passengers to offer transportation services.

Reason for prohibiting touting and soliciting

According to the states point-to-point industry law, drivers in states of Australia are prohibited from engaging in touting or soliciting for passengers.

Touting and soliciting pose risks to the safety of both passengers and drivers. The reasons for this prohibition are as follows:

Safety concerns: Touting and soliciting lack proper documentation of the passenger service and raise doubts about whether safety checks have been conducted on the driver or vehicle.

Harassment: Touting and soliciting are forms of unwanted behaviour and can be considered as a form of harassment.

Safety hazards: In high traffic areas such as airports, train stations, and busy streets, touting and soliciting can create unsafe situations for pedestrians and drivers.

Unfair competition: Engaging in touting and soliciting undermines authorized service providers and drivers who adhere to the proper regulations and guidelines.

Exception for finding pre-booked passengers

It should be noted that it is not considered touting or soliciting when a driver approaches a person to inquire if they are waiting for a specific pre-booked service provided by a passenger vehicle. For example, hire vehicle drivers may hold a sign with the name of a passenger who has pre-booked their service.

Penalties for touting and soliciting

We recommend that you visit your state transport authority website for more information and clarification on penalties that may apply.

Driver distractions

An image of a man talking on a hand held mobile phone while driving, displaying the words 'Bad call!'.

There are a lot of factors that can cause crashes — speeding, drink driving and fatigue to name a few.

What many people don’t realise is that distracted drivers can be just as dangerous. You need to focus at all times when you’re behind the wheel

Distracted drivers are a danger not only to themselves and their passengers but to other road users as well. It only takes a split second to lose your concentration. Some common distractions when driving are:

#Talking on your mobile phone

#Reading or sending a text on your mobile phone

#Changing your radio station or scrolling to a song in your playlist

#Attending to children in the backseat.

#Having a mobile phone in your hand or resting it on any part of your body while driving is illegal. This applies to all drivers at all times regardless if the phone is on or in use.

#If you’re caught you will get a significant fine and demerit points. Learn more about mobile phone rules in your state transport authorities websites.

Here are some tips to help you avoid becoming distracted while you drive:

Install a phone mount or holder — that way you can drive and concentrate on the road more safely, but don’t forget to keep concentrating on driving. In some states drivers under 25 years of age can't use a mobile phone while driving, including hands-free, headsets or loudspeaker. Their passengers are also not allowed to use a phone's loudspeaker.

Find out more about the dangers of driver distractions by visiting StreetSmarts.

Safe transport Victoria Code of Practice Read more...

BEA transport authority Queensland.

https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/bea

Driving while tired or Fatigue:

Driving for long hours can make you tired, and that's not safe. It is important to recognize when you're tired and understand how to manage your fatigue.

Signs of Fatigue:

Yawning a lot
Eyes feeling heavy
Body stiffness or cramps
Microsleeps
Having trouble keeping your head up
Feeling tired, drowsy or exhausted

How Fatigue Affects driving:

Causes poor judgement
Leads to lack of concentration
Makes reaction times slower

Assessing Fatigue before driving:

Prior to going online you must asses your sleep duration and over all fatigue levels. Ensure that you've had enough rest before going online on Koogle platform.

Here are some tips on how to manage your Fatigue:

Get 7-9 hours of sleep
Take a 15 minutes breaks after 2 hours of consecutive driving
Don't drink alcohol before you start to drive on Koogle platform. Even a small amount can significantly contribute to driver fatigue
Be aware of the medications you are taking (as some may increase drowsiness). Consult your doctor or pharmacist for advise on how it may effect your driving

Fatigue Management Policy:

Koogle Community guidelines say take a break if you're tired while tired while driving for the app. Sates transport authorities require driver-partners to manage health and safety risks, including fatigue.

The Koogle app helps by tracking your online hours and automatically taking you offline for 8 hours after 12 cumulative hours online without an 8 hour break.

Remember, it's your legal duty not to drive while fatigued. Stay safe for yourself and your riders.

Community Guidelines