1. Introduction
Special Hire ("we", "us", or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal data of all users (Passengers, Drivers, and Vehicle Operators) using our mobile application and digital services.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store, and safeguard your information when you access or use the Special Hire platform. Please read this policy carefully.
2. Information We Collect
We collect information directly from you, automatically through your device when using our Services, and from verified third-party partners (such as AzamPay and LATRA regulatory databases).
2.1 Personal Data You Provide Directly
- Account Credentials: Full name, phone number, email address, profile photo, and password.
- Identity & Verification Data (Drivers & Operators): National ID (NIDA) number, Driver's License details, LATRA Driver Certification, vehicle registration documents, and commercial vehicle photos.
- Financial & Payment Information: Mobile money phone numbers (Airtel, Tigo, Vodacom M-Pesa, HaloPesa, AzamPesa) and payment account details used for processing ride payments and driver disbursements.
- Trip & Booking Data: Pickup addresses, destination locations, scheduled trip dates, vehicle preferences, and trip notes.
- Communications & Support: Messages, feedback, trip reviews, ratings, and customer service inquiries.
2.2 Information Collected Automatically (Device & Usage Data)
- Precise Location Data:
- Passengers: We collect precise GPS location data when the app is open in the foreground to pinpoint pickup points and show real-time driver arrival.
- Drivers: We collect precise GPS location data in both foreground and background (when driver status is "On Duty" or on an active trip) to calculate trip distances, enable live passenger tracking on map views, and compute authoritative fares.
- Device Identifiers: Device IP address, operating system version, unique device identifier (UUID), push notification token (FCM), and mobile network operator details.
- App Usage Logs: Feature interactions, session durations, crash reports, and system diagnostics.
3. How We Use Your Information
We process personal data strictly for legitimate business and regulatory purposes:
- Facilitating Transportation Services: Matching passengers with suitable drivers, routing trips, and calculating distance-based pricing.
- Processing Digital Payments & Payouts: Executing MNO USSD push payments via AzamPay gateway, verifying digital RSA signatures, and disbursing driver net earnings (90%).
- Safety and Fraud Prevention: Verifying driver identities against government licenses, monitoring live vehicle trajectories during transit, and detecting fraudulent activities.
- Push Notifications & Communication: Sending real-time booking status alerts ("Accepted", "Confirmed", "Completed"), payment confirmation receipts, and service updates.
- Customer Support: Resolving booking inquiries, handling cancellations, and processing refund requests.
- Legal & Regulatory Compliance: Fulfilling obligations under Tanzanian transport and personal data protection regulations.
4. Data Sharing and Disclosure
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties. We share data only under the following strictly controlled circumstances:
4.1 Between Passengers and Drivers
- When a booking is initiated, the assigned Driver receives the Passenger's name, phone number, and pickup/destination locations.
- The Passenger receives the Driver's name, profile photo, phone number, rating, vehicle make/model, and license plate number.
4.2 Third-Party Service Providers
We share relevant data with trusted technical partners to deliver core app functionality:
- AzamPay Gateway: Phone numbers and payment transaction amounts for mobile money processing.
- Firebase / Google Cloud Infrastructure: Secure cloud database storage, authentication, push notification delivery (FCM), and hosting.
- Google Maps API: Geocoding, location mapping, and turn-by-turn route calculations.
4.3 Legal & Regulatory Obligations
- We may disclose information if required by Tanzanian law enforcement, courts, or regulatory bodies (such as LATRA or Tanzania Police Force) to comply with legal processes or protect human safety.
5. Data Retention and Security
5.1 Security Measures
We implement industry-standard technical and organizational security measures, including:
- TLS/SSL Encryption: Enforced for all API communications and network traffic.
- Encrypted Storage: Sensitive user data and authentication tokens stored securely in Google Cloud Firebase with strict Firestore Security Rules.
- Access Control: Restricted admin access governed by Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC).
5.2 Retention Period
- Personal data is retained only for as long as your account remains active or as needed to comply with financial tax accounting regulations (minimum 5 years for payment transaction records under Tanzanian law).
6. Your Privacy Rights & Account Deletion
Under the Tanzania Personal Data Protection Act (2022) and international app store policies (Google Play & Apple App Store Guidelines), you hold the following rights:
- Access & Portability: Request a copy of your personal data stored on the platform.
- Correction: Update inaccurate profile information directly via the app settings.
- Location Permissions Control: You may disable location permissions in your device settings at any time (note: disabling location may limit live trip features).
- Account & Data Deletion: You have the right to request full account and data deletion.
How to Delete Your Account
You can request account deletion at any time by:
- Navigating to App Settings → Profile → Delete Account inside the Special Hire mobile application.
- Submitting an account deletion request via email to support@specialhire.vnptech.co.tz.
Upon account deletion, all personal profile data, cached tokens, and active credentials will be permanently erased from our active databases within 30 days, excluding transaction records required by law.
7. Children's Privacy
Special Hire services are strictly intended for individuals aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal data from children under 18. If we discover that a child under 18 has registered an account, we will immediately terminate the account and purge associated data.
8. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect technological updates, regulatory revisions, or service enhancements. Changes become effective upon posting. We encourage users to review this document periodically.