The Problem with Uber

In recent years a taxi rental service by phone app known as Uber has developed. Although there are many similar services, Uber is the most renowned so far and differs from the usual taxi services in Leeds.

This service can be hired from an app through a mobile phone with internet access. Once you have an account in this service, a private driver is contracted to pick you up at the location you mark your map, and take you to the destination (such as an airport) you previously indicated.

All drivers rely on a GPS system to choose the route that will take them to the destination, and receive their payment from the app, avoiding passengers having to carry enough money to make the trip.

Although these are great advantages that do not come with common street taxis in Leeds, Uber has been involved in recent scandals that could dethrone it as the ideal option to replace regular taxis.

-Are you safer?

Not only is it a situation of who drives worse or better, or who usually has more traffic accidents, the problem has reached drivers who have assaulted, and even raped passengers. This is because Uber, as a company, does not directly hire employees, like regular taxis in Leeds. They simply ask that they have a valid license and a car of their own to do so, without requesting further evidence of their criminal records or taking the trouble to perform psychiatric examinations to see if they are qualified for the job.

Being "independent", drivers can commit many grievances without being judged for it, or without the authorities being notified.

- Aggression committed

In the year 2015 alone, there is a record of 13 sexual harassment and a violation by Uber drivers, 6 in the Lyft service, and 5 in street taxis.

The website "Who’s driving you? "Contains statistics and reports of accidents happened in Uber taxis, as they look for services like this to be regulated by the government to avoid similar grievances. When regulating these rental services, the drivers must enter their fingerprints to the system before being hired, since this information will be able to inform if it is a person with criminal antecedents.

Among the offenses committed by these drivers are:

• Assassinations or reckless killing (by traffic accident)

• Beating or verbal offenses

• Sexual harassment

• Abductions

• Crimes

• False documents

• Drunk drivers

While anyone is at risk of being subjected to such an injury by any licensed public transport driver, it is best to make sure that they have the data of the driver, as well as to provide the type of vehicle and the license plate number. This is so that just in case anyone wanted to notify that a person is traveling as a passenger of that person in case of any eventuality.