Uber has allowed almost ALL of its drivers accused of sexual misconduct by passengers to KEEP their jobs
- Sex pest Uber drivers were able to carry on driving on the app after complaints
- Even repeat offenders often faced no action or investigation, report found
- Violent clashes between drivers and passengers also went unreported
- Uber were fined $200,000 after the confidential state government audit
Almost all Uber drivers accused of sexual misconduct in NSW were allowed to carry on driving for the rideshare app, a government audit has found.
The confidential report by the NSW Point to Point Transport Commission found 94 per cent of drivers kept picking up passengers after a sex pest complaint.
Some were even allowed to stay on the app despite repeated complaints 'without appropriate action or investigation', says the audit.
'The systems and processes look at incidents of each category in isolation but not overall,' the audit found.
'As a result, the drivers with multiple incidents remain undetected and active in the platform.'
Almost all Uber drivers accused of sexual misconduct in New South Wales were allowed to carry on driving for the rideshare app, a government audit has found. (Pictured, a stock image of a woman using her iPhone)
As well as sexual misconduct, , The Australian revealed drivers were also accused of being dangerously distracted by their phone while driving and driving while drowsy.
Investigators also found Uber failed to report some incidents that they were required to by law, including violent clashes between passengers and drivers.
And the report slammed the app's poor driver training, with more than a quarter of Uber drivers surveyed getting less than 20 minutes of tuition and one in 10 got going after just 10 minutes.
Uber were fined $200,000 for the breaches and given notes on 13 areas where they needed to improve - but the audit has not been made public.
It also found some incidents had been trivialised, including one which was written off as a verbal altercation, after a driver claimed a passenger punched the back of his head, while the passenger accused the driver of spitting and swearing at him.
A confidential report by the NSW Point to Point Transport Commission found 94 per cent of drivers kept picking up passengers after a sex pest complaint. (Pictured, a stock image of an Uber vehicle)
Similar incidents should be reported to the regulator but the audit found Uber had ignored hundreds of flare-ups.
Uber later admitted they had found 735 incidents that should have been reported.
Investigators also found almost four out of ten drivers worked for more than 12 hours, with some working up to 17 hours, raising serious driver fatigue fears.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the commission and Uber for comment.
An Uber spokesman told The Australian that they welcomed the findings as 'sensible, and in line with work already completed or under way.'
'There are others which we consider to contain misunderstandings and we are in discussions with the commission to clarify these issues.
Some drivers were even allowed to stay on the Uber app (pictured) despite repeated complaints 'without appropriate action or investigation', says the audit
'While many of the most common unwanted sexual experiences may not fall into the most severe category of sexual assault, they may nevertheless leave the rider feeling uncomfortable.
'That is why we encourage reporting, including sexual misconduct which includes incidents of 'asking personal questions', 'staring or leering', and 'inappropriate comments or gestures'.
The spokesman added: 'To further encourage reporting we introduced an On-Trip Reporting feature which enables riders to discreetly report non-emergency situations where they may feel uncomfortable and Uber's safety team follows up after the trip.
'Repeated reports of such misconduct may result in permanent loss of access to the Uber app.
'For all sexual assault or serious sexual misconduct incidents we remove access to the account of the person in question while we look into the matter.
'We also assist in police investigations and routinely support law enforcement to help keep bad actors out of the rideshare industry.'
NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner Anthony Wing (pictured) said Uber had responded to all the 'directions in connection with the safety audit that have been due to date'.
NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner Anthony Wing told the newspaper Uber had responded to all the 'directions in connection with the safety audit that have been due to date.'
He added: 'The commissioner noted Uber’s incident management system was generally not effective enough and required improvement.'
Comments 0
Share what you think
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
