Uber secretly investigate over 2,500 London drivers for sex, stalking and driving offences
The Times have blown the doors open in the lead up to Uber’s much publicised court appeal starting tomorrow as they try to win back their London operators licence.
According to The Times the ride-hailing app have secretly investigated offences which include sex assaults, stalking and dangerous driving linking back to over 2,500 of its drivers.
In a document given to regulators Transport for London it also shows Uber conducted online medical checks and sight tests for at least 800 applicants applying to drive on the app using Skype, as opposed to the required physical test.
TfL’s general manager of taxi and private hire, Helen Chapman, said that the regulator asked Uber to redo all of the eye exams in person however the minicab firm continues to defend the process taken. The Times reports that a “strictly confidential” message from Uber to TfL’s Helen Chapman said that 1,148 London-licensed Uber drivers had been reported for “category A” offences such as sexual incidents, stalking and dangerous driving.
The much maligned ride-hailing firm also looked into another 1,402 London drivers who had been accused of repeated complaints for lesser offences, such as discriminatory comments and “inappropriate interpersonal conduct” towards customers using the service. The disclosure to TfL went on to say that 451 London-licensed drivers were banned as a result and 58 previously undisclosed crimes against travelling customers were reported to the police. There was also over 120 other crimes by London Uber drivers which had already been reported to the police. Steve McNamara, general secretary of the LTDA, told TaxiPoint and The Times “Uber ignored or covered up misconduct and criminality on a far wider scale than we ever suspected,”
Tom Elvidge, Uber’s UK general manager, said the firm was “considering” whether it should report some of the other crimes with some “too historic to report” in the document to the regulators dated 25th May according to The Times.
Uber are set to start their appeal tomorrow against TfL as they attempt to win back their London operators licence which was rejected back in September 2017.
