City
Epaper

Uber's safety review has thousands of sexual assault reports

By IANS | Updated: December 6, 2019 14:15 IST

Ride-hailing giant Uber has released its first safety review which contains thousands of sexual assault reports. The company has also revealed the changes it was making to make rides safer for its passengers and drivers.

Open in App

The two-year safety review contains almost 2,936 reports pertaining to sexual assault that Uber received in 2017 and 3,045 it received in 2018.

Notably, the cab aggregator categorises sexual assaults into five subcategories, which are non-consensual kissing of a non-sexual body part, non-consenual touching of a sexual body part, attempted non-consensual sexual penetration, non-consensual kissing of a sexual body part and non-consensual sexual penetration.

In the last sub category, which is rape, the cab hailing major received 229 reports of rape in 2017 and 235 reports of rape in 2018. Throughout 2017 and 2018, the reported incidents occurred on 0.00002% of trips, according to the company.

"Confronting sexual violence requires honesty, and it's only by shining a light on these issues that we can begin to provide clarity on something that touches every corner of society," Tony West, Uber's Chief Legal Officer, said in the review.

"And, most importantly, by bringing hard data to bear, we can make every trip safer for drivers and riders alike."

The ride hailing major long been under fire for its safety practices.

In its response to making rides safer for its passengers, Uber mentioned developments like its "in-app safety button".

"We're rolling out new features that allow riders to verify their driver with a secure PIN code, send a text message directly to 911 operators, and report safety incidents to Uber even before their trip is over," the company said.

In 2020, the cab aggregator will expand sexual misconduct and assault education to all the US drivers.

"We are partnering with RAINN, the nation's largest sexual violence organisation, to design and implement this programme," Uber added.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: Tony WestRainnIansus
Open in App

Related Stories

InternationalIndian-Origin Man Beheaded In US In Front Of Family After Violent Dispute

BusinessAnil Ambani’s Reliance Power and Reliance Infra Shares Zoom Even as Indian Markets Tumble Amid US Tariffs

InternationalMissouri House Blast: 5 Injured After Huge Explosion Damages 20 Homes in St Louis County

InternationalHurricane Erin Enters Into Category 2 Storm With Maximum Winds of 100 mph, Heavy Rainfall Over Caribbean Islands Likely

InternationalIowa Shooting: Two Killed, One Injured In Firing and Blast in Glenwood; Suspect Arrested

टेकमेनिया Realted Stories

TechnologyClimate variability reshaping Indian Sardine's dynamics: Study

TechnologyMumbai's real estate market witnesses robust 1.11 lakh registrations between Jan-Sep

TechnologyAtmanirbharata is about building supply chains that can withstand global shocks: Piyush Goyal

TechnologyOver 11.31 lakh health camps organised under Swasth Nari, Sashakt Nari Abhiyaan: Govt

TechnologyTRAI releases consultation paper on auction of radio frequency spectrum