Why A Taxi Can be Better Than Uber

While Uber is known for its reliability, the company has had its own share of instances due to unruly drivers. There have been reports of sexual assault leading to arrests. In many US cities like Boston, Washington D.C, Oklahoma, Orlando, Chicago, Los Angeles, cases of drivers attacking their passengers have surfaced.

According to a Buzzfeed News report, Uber received 5,827 complaints marked with the word “rape” and 6,160 tickets with mention of “sexual assault” from 2012 to 204. Uber claimed these numbers were fake and issued their own numbers – 5 issues of rape and less than 170 cases of sexual assault.

A website run by Taxicab, Limousine, and Paratransit Association (TLPA) records cases of the assault carried out by Uber drivers. Their website claims 19 confirmed cases of sexual assault and more than 100 incidents of sexual assault and harassment by Uber drivers in America.

But the association behind the website has been one of the leading agencies criticizing Uber from its inception. Uber have already gained a significant market share, and the traditional organizations are feeling the brunt.

They are using anything and everything against similar to Uber to erode their customer base. But what is the reality? Are taxis really safer than ridesharing services like Uber? We present an analysis of facts and our comprehensive investigation into the safety issues regarding Uber.

No Method to Track Offences

There is no direct way to get the accurate statistics of crime rates involving Uber drivers. The police do not have a system to track the location of the offenses. Police departments of American states have no way to look up the information required to establish the hard facts.

There is no data to track whether the crime took place in a house, in an Uber vehicle or in a traditional taxi. That brings up another key question – are taxis safer than Uber?

The traditional taxi drivers have also made the headlines with reported cases or assault and attacks on their passengers. In 2012 there were seven offenses committed by taxi drivers over the course of a week in Washington.

 

The string of incidents compelled the District Taxicab Commissioner to warn female passengers on safety issues. Other cases have been reported in places like Portland, Seattle, Fort Lauderdale and other regions.

Driver Background Check

Uber has been criticized for the method the use to approve drivers. Their system was not able to recognize drivers with criminal past and felony convictions. Uber conducts a background check on their drivers, which accesses seven years criminal history of an individual.

National, state and local crime records are checked, and the company retrieves the current most information.

This is compared with the fingerprint check that other taxi companies make their drivers go through. Fingerprints are scanned to access the complete criminal records of a person in the United States. It does not have any time limit and can cough up cases reported decades earlier.

This offers a better screening and provides increased security to passengers, believes TLPA. California prosecutors alleged Uber of failing to identify 25 drivers with past criminal records in August 2015. Uber had to shell out $ 10 million to settle the background check case involving drivers with felony convictions of murder, sex offenses, assaults and child abuse.   

State Regulations are becoming Stringent

Should fingerprint background check be made mandatory for Uber drivers? New York and Houston have already adopted this measure, and Uber drivers have to submit themselves to a fingerprint check. Other regulations are also being introduced which will curb the reach and services of Uber. But in spite of all these measures, safety can never be an assured part of any taxi service.

We hear news of someone arrested for murder who has never harmed another human being in his whole life. We can never predict the action of a human, and that renders us unsafe all the while. Introduction of better laws and background checks will help in minimizing crimes against passengers.

Report of Offence and the Due Course of Action

Most complaints against Uber go to its customer care, which can be accessed directly from the taxi booking software. Outsiders cannot view the complaints, and only the Uber team can access it. Some are of the opinion that crimes committed by Uber drivers do not come into light as most issues are sent to the company.

But Uber counters this opinion with the statement that they get to know about the crimes from outside sources and customers do not always send them a complaint.  Taxi services with fingerprint check have a better way to track arrests. Since they are monitoring the system, they get notified whenever any of their drivers are arrested. Their license is canceled till the time investigation is over and they are barred from working.

Uber also adopts a similar process once they get to know about the crime. The alleged driver’s access to the app is cut off, and they are suspended from service. Without the app, they cannot get any fares, as the booking has to be accepted through the app.

Emergency Reporting Options

When a passenger is attacked, there is no way to call for help other than reaching the cops. Uber claims to be working on a panic button in their app, which can be used in distress situations. But the date to release the feature has been postponed to a later time.

They are also said to be working on an emergency phone number in 22 cities. The helpline number is not for emergencies, though; it helps passengers and drivers with urgent problems, but is not a replacement for 911. This service is still in test phase and not made visible to drivers or riders.

Uber also has other features, which can be used when a passenger is in trouble. There is a feature in the app, which lets riders share their GPS location through SMS. The company is also developing new options to track rash driving, harsh breaking through the driver's app to improve customer service.

Which is Safer – Uber or Taxi?

It cannot be conclusively concluded that one is safer than another. Both companies have their own share of complaints and arrests related to offenses against passengers.

Somewhere, the responsibility of our safety also lies with us, and we need to follow the basic safety measures while taking a taxi ride – checking the number plate and driver name, sharing our location with friends and family, and avoid drivers with poor ratings. Even in this age of app-driven the world, we must remain conscious and aware of our surroundings to stay from any untoward incident.

If you run your taxi business in the United States, now might be the time to take the big step – and take on Uber. Invest in an Uber like app and you can take your customer engagement to the next level. WIth in depth analytics and easy tracking, it can be a whole lot simpler to carry out your business.