Uber Cab Rape In India Blamed On U.S. Taxi Service Itself

The free-range cab driver service Uber has gone through its share of controversies in the United States, including accusations that it abuses worker’s rights and even some evidence the company wanted to “dig up dirt” on journalists who were critical of the taxi service. But few of the claims laid against it are quite so grim as the ones against one of the company’s drivers in New Delhi — and the country’s government is blaming Uber for it.

On Sunday, Indian police took an Uber employee into custody because he allegedly raped a woman when she rode in his cab late Friday evening in south New Delhi. The 26-year-old woman claimed that Shiv Kumar Yadav beat and sexually assaulted her before she was able to escape from the cab. Yadav is currently in custody in his native city in Uttar Pradesh, near the location he tried to ditch the automobile after the alleged assault. On Monday, he will face a New Delhi court on sexual assault charges, reported Reuters.

Madhur Verma, deputy commissioner with the Delhi police, reiterated to Reuters that India would be seeking damages from Uber for failing to properly regulate their company — no background check was required for Yadav to receive the job.

“Every violation by Uber will be evaluated and we will go for legal recourse.”

Uber has been under fire for this exact issue in the U.S. as well. Many people do not approve of the loose regulations of the cab service, saying that workers suffer for it in the end. One such critic is Shannon Liss-Riordan, a labor lawyer who told The Boston Globe that Uber is hovering in a hazy zone of legality in order to suppress workers.

“By not classifying its drivers as employees, Uber is shifting the expenses of running a business to its workers. Making the workers pay for these business expenses saves Uber an enormous amount of money… It’s these so-called new technology companies that are using old-school methods to keep their workers from having their rights under the law. It’s the newest spin to avoid employee classification.”

As for Uber itself, spokeswoman Evelyn Tay said that the company would continue to work to make their product less dangerous in the Indian market.

“Safety is Uber’s highest priority and in India, we work with licensed driver-partners to provide a safe transportation option.”

D0 you think Uber should run background checks on its cab drivers?

[Image via Flickr]