Uber has had it’s fair share of publicity in the media, some good and some not so good. It started getting out by stepping on the toes of the authorities in many locations and then continued to stay defiant in light of accusations and fines while dancing around legal loopholes to ensure that their footprint is still in those countries.
But still, the people loved the Uber service and a quick check on social media you will find a lot of people who prefer the Uber service over conventional taxis.
Many arguments have been brought up regarding the safety of passengers especially when Uber vehicles used to pick up passengers may not be licensed commercial vehicles. In face of that, Uber has introduced in the US a stringent background check of their drivers which they claim is their trade secret because they say that their background checks are more stringent compared to the ones used by taxi companies. This is Uber’s step to ensuring passenger safety which they take very seriously.
Of course this comes a little too late especially when cases such as a passenger getting raped in India which caused Uber to be banned from New Delhi.
With every new initiative comes even more woes for Uber. They started adding an additional USD$1Safe Rides Fee in April to help pay for its safety program which includes driver training, background checks and vehicle inspections. Because of that, Uber is now getting sued by their passengers over the additional fee. I guess it is because there have been cases where Uber was getting a lot of flak for allowing drivers to provide their information without actually proving that the information is them either via a biometric scan or check.
Let’s not even mention Korea.
Still there are many people who are for Uber as well as those opposed to Uber’s way of working. I believe that eventually over time, Uber will continue to push in new markets, get legalised and continue to provide their service. I just hope that their safety measures do not come too late.
