Don’t risk your Auckland Airport chauffeur ride to shady operators.
RIDE IN A LIMO FOR THE SAME PRICE AS A TAXI
Transport for London’s decision to strip Uber of its licence to operate in the city casts a fresh light on the risks of using low grade operators.
Uber is facing a class-action lawsuit over sexual assaults by drivers.
The suit claims that Uber has created a system that allows for “bad actors to gain access to vulnerable victims.”
“Uber should have made drastic changes to the way that it screens and monitors drivers. As well, it should have advanced safety measures on its app and in vehicles. It should have disclosed the truth to consumers about its insurance coverage during rides,” the lawsuit says.
“Instead, over the last seven years, Uber has done everything possible to continue using low-cost, woefully inadequate background checks on drivers. It has also failed to monitor drivers for any violent or inappropriate conduct after they are hired.
Nothing meaningful has been done to make rides safer for passengers—especially women.
The lawsuit describes all the access Uber provides for drivers to commit sexual assault.
Drivers are able to veer off-route, park in remote places, block car doors, and follow passengers into their homes.
GET AN AUCKLAND AIRPORT CHAUFFEUR WITH A PROVEN RECORD
The complaint describes several actions Uber could have taken to prevent assault, including barring registered sex offenders from driving on Uber permanently.
It could require in-person screenings for drivers.
Additionally, it should have, and could have, installed video surveillance in Ubers.
It should perform criminal background checks every six months.
And it should require drivers to tell Uber within 24 hours if they are indicted, or charged with any felony involving violence, or issued a restraining order related to domestic violence.
The lawsuit also gets into other controversies facing Uber.
The complaint cites accounts of assault by Uber drivers shared as part of the #MeToo movement; failures of background checks, including the registration as an Uber driver of the truck driver in the terrorist attack in New York on Oct. 31; the debate over whether Uber drivers are employees of Uber; and misleading advertising from Uber about “safe rides.”
One plaintiff was assaulted by an Uber driver in Los Angeles after she fell asleep in the backseat.
The other was raped by an Uber driver in her apartment in Miami.
He was arrested and charged with two counts of sexual battery, and Uber refunded her $9.51 for the ride.