Tinka Safety
The safest way to move in Uganda.
Tinka is already the cheapest way to ride in Uganda. It's also built, feature by feature, to be the safest — for riders and for drivers, from the moment you book to the moment you're home.
Every trip, watched over
These aren't promises on a page — they're features already running in the app, on every ride, right now.
Face verification for every driver
Tinka drivers take a live selfie before going online, matched to the person approved on their account and to their driving permit photo. They're re-checked at random and whenever something changes. A different face puts the account on hold, and a banned driver can't come back on a new account. The driver who arrives is the driver we verified. See how it works →
Deaf-friendly mode
Deaf or hard of hearing? Your driver is told before pickup, the call buttons are replaced by chat, and abuse of a Deaf rider or driver is treated as a serious safety report. Uganda's first homegrown ride app to do it. See how it works →
One-tap SOS
A single tap during any trip alerts your saved safety contact, connects you to the police number, and notifies Tinka admin — all at once. No fumbling through your phone in a moment that matters.
Share your trip, anywhere
Send a live tracking link through WhatsApp, Gmail, SMS, or any app you already use. Whoever you share it with can watch your trip unfold in real time, from any device — no Tinka account needed on their end.
Automatic "arrived safely" alert
The moment you reach your destination, the person you shared your trip with is automatically told you got there safely. You don't have to remember to text — Tinka does it the second you're home.
Are-you-okay check-ins
If your ride stops moving for longer than it should mid-trip, Tinka notices and sends a banner asking if you're fine. It's the app actively paying attention to your journey — not just logging a route afterward.
We follow up on low ratings
A 1-2 star rating usually means something went wrong. When one happens, Tinka reaches out directly to find out what — not to punish, but because your safety and your experience matter to us beyond a number on a screen.
Every driver verified, no shortcuts
National ID, a real photo, phone number and email on file, valid driving permit, police clearance letter, LC1 letter from their area chairperson, and a full vehicle inspection — every single one checked by a real person in our Kampala office before anyone can go online as a Tinka driver. See the full checklist.
No pickup, no ride — guaranteed
Every taxi trip is protected by a pickup verification code only you can see. Your driver cannot start the trip, and you cannot be charged, until you read that code out and they enter it correctly. It's a small step that closes a real gap other apps leave open: nobody can start a "trip" without you actually being in the car.
Message your driver, right in the app
No need to exchange phone numbers or move the conversation to WhatsApp. Chat with your driver directly inside Tinka — clear pickup instructions, real-time updates, all kept on the record, all in one place.
Plan ahead — schedule your ride
Airport pickup at 5am? An important meeting across town? Book your Tinka days in advance, lock in a driver ahead of time, and stop hoping you'll find a ride when it actually matters.
Don't take our word for it
Real ratings, straight from Google Play — unedited.
"Very friendly user interface to start with. The customer care was prompt to my inquiries I made with them. My two times experience with this ride has been great! The SOS feature on the app adds a lot of safety feelings, big thing around town I should admit!!!"
— Okumu Prosper, Google Play
"I have never seen something like this before, it is very nice."
— Unzimai Alex, Google Play
"The best ride app in Uganda by far."
— derrick duuka, Google Play
"It is really good."
— Senait Mehretab, Google Play
"Beautiful and fast."
— Jane Nakku, Google Play
How trip sharing works, step by step
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1
Start your trip as normal
Book your ride the way you always do — nothing extra to set up in advance.
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2
Tap "Share Trip" and pick anyone, any app
Send the live link over WhatsApp, email, SMS, or whatever you and the person you trust already use — a parent, a partner, a friend, a colleague.
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3
They watch your journey in real time
No app install needed on their side — just the link, showing your live position and route the whole way.
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4
They're told the moment you're home
Arrival triggers an automatic notification to them — the peace of mind arrives before you even put your phone away.
Why safety isn't an afterthought here
A ride-hailing app is trusted with something bigger than a fare — it's trusted with getting people home. Cheap fares matter, but they mean nothing if the trip itself isn't something you can relax into.
So Tinka doesn't treat safety as one feature buried in a settings menu. It's the SOS button that reaches three places at once instead of one. It's the link you can send to anyone, on any app, without asking them to download something first. It's a system that notices when your car has stopped moving and actually asks if you're okay. It's following up personally when a rating drops, instead of letting the number speak for itself.
This is what "built in Uganda, for Uganda" is supposed to mean — not just fair fares and same-day driver pay, but a platform that genuinely watches out for the people using it.
Safety questions, answered
Is Tinka safe to use in Uganda? +
Yes. Every Tinka driver is verified before approval (national ID, driving permit, police clearance letter, LC1 letter, and a vehicle inspection), and every trip is protected by a one-tap SOS button, real-time ride monitoring, and the ability to share your live trip with someone you trust.
What does the SOS button actually do? +
Tapping SOS during a trip immediately alerts your saved safety contact, gives you a direct line to the police, and notifies Tinka admin in real time — all at once, without you needing to make three separate calls in an emergency.
Can I share my Tinka ride with someone for safety? +
Yes. Any time during a trip you can share a live tracking link through WhatsApp, email, SMS or any app you use. The person you shared it with can watch your trip in real time, and they are automatically notified the moment you arrive safely at your destination — you don't have to remember to text them yourself.
What happens if my ride stops moving for no reason? +
Tinka's system notices when a car has been stationary for an unusual length of time mid-trip and sends you a check-in banner asking if you're okay. It's a small thing, but it means the app is actively watching your journey, not just tracking your route after the fact.
Does Tinka do anything about drivers or riders who get low ratings? +
Yes. When someone leaves a 1-2 star rating, Tinka follows up directly with the person who gave it to understand what happened — because a low rating is usually a sign something went wrong, and we want to know about it, not just record a number.
Is Tinka accessible for Deaf or hard of hearing riders? +
Yes. Tinka has a Deaf-friendly mode: tick it at sign-up or in Settings and your driver is told before pickup to message, not call, with call buttons replaced by in-app chat. Deaf drivers are supported too. See tinkataxi.com/deaf-friendly.
Does Tinka check that the driver is the real account owner? +
Yes. Since October 2026 Tinka drivers take a live selfie before going online, matched to the person approved on the account and to their driving permit photo, with surprise re-checks on a new phone, after a long break, after a rider report, and at random. A different face puts the account on hold, and banned drivers are blocked from returning. See tinkataxi.com/verified-drivers.
Are Tinka drivers background-checked? +
Every driver must submit a national ID, a real photo, a valid phone number and email, a valid driving permit, a police clearance letter (Form A), an LC1 letter from their area chairperson, and pass a vehicle inspection before they can go online. See the full requirements at /dmv.
How does Tinka stop a driver from starting a trip without actually picking me up? +
Every taxi trip has a pickup verification code that only you can see in the app. Your driver must read it back to you correctly before the trip is allowed to start — the app enforces this server-side, so a trip simply cannot begin, and you cannot be charged, until you are actually in the car. This closes a real scam other apps leave open, where a driver starts the meter without ever picking up the rider.
Can I message my Tinka driver without giving them my phone number? +
Yes. Tinka has in-app chat, so you can send pickup instructions or updates directly to your driver without ever exchanging phone numbers or moving the conversation to WhatsApp.
Can I book a Tinka ride in advance? +
Yes — Tinka lets you schedule a ride ahead of time, whether that's an early airport run or a meeting across town, so you have a driver locked in instead of hoping one is available when you need it.
More about riding with Tinka
Driver requirements checklist
Everything a driver and their vehicle must pass before joining Tinka.
Compliance & regulation
How Tinka complies with Ugandan law, licensing and data protection.
Best ride app in Uganda 2026
See how Tinka compares on fares, payouts and coverage too.
🤖 Tinka's AI assistant
Real answers about your trip, fare and wallet, 24/7 — with billing and safety issues always handed to a human.
Cheapest to book. Safest to ride.
Install Tinka and see for yourself — every trip, watched over.