New Delhi: US-based cab service provider Uber has landed in a fresh controversy with one of its driver being accused of molesting a female passenger during a ride to Gurgaon.
The victim registered her complaint over phone to an Uber representative following the incident yesterday wherein the cab driver identified as Vinod allegedly forced himself upon her, "trying to kiss and molest her".
In response to her complaint, the representative said, "We have a zero tolerance policy for this behaviour and I assure you that our team is following up with Vinod (cab driver) appropriately and immediately." However, the woman's brother alleged inaction even after registering the complaint and demanded punishment for the culprit.
"Even after registering a complaint with you (Uber) there has been no action, no update from your end," he said, adding, they have given a complaint in this regard to Gurgaon police.
In reply to the charge, Uber said, "Our team immediately reached out to the rider (victim) via phone within minutes of receiving the feedback. Multiple members of the Uber team have spoken with the driver to ascertain the sequence of events." The official Uber response also claimed that "immediate action has already been taken with the driver partner even while the matter is being thoroughly investigated."
It further said that in order to "protect" privacies of the parties involved, Uber will handle this matter "directly" with the "concerned parties".
When contacted, Delhi Police said that they haven't received any complaint in this regard and it may have been registered with Gurgaon police.
Uber recently announced the appointment of IIT graduate Amit Jain as President of its India Operations.
The cab service provider is presently banned in the national capital following rape of a 27-year-old financial consultant allegedly by a cab driver working in partnership with it, in December last year.
Terming it as a "worrisome" situation, Association of Radio Taxi India called for immediate action in this regard.
"It is indeed a very worrisome situation for Taxi industry. Despite the ban in Delhi these services are growing," said Kunal Lalani, President of Association of Radio Taxi India and Chairman, Mega cabs.
"The situation needs to be addressed immediately before something more heinous happens. Though we need Ola and Uber but not at the cost of such mishaps," he added.
However The official statement issued by Uber:
Our team immediately reached out to the rider via phone within a few minutes of receiving the feedback.
Multiple members of the Uber team have spoken with the driver. Uber has a zero-tolerance policy towards inappropriate behaviour and immediate action has already been taken with the driver partner being deactivated while the matter is being thoroughly investigated.
In order to protect the privacy of parties involved, we will continue to handle this matter directly with the concerned parties.
As discussed with the rider on the phone and email, our team is ready to assist further in any way we can to share information with authorities. We can also confirm that the driver partner does have a valid PSV badge and commercial license issued by the Delhi authorities.
