Uber has once again got a serious problem in the Indian capital of New Delhi. A driver has been arrested after a female passenger accused him of sexual harassment last weekend.
The driver – identified as Vinod Kumar from Satya Nagar in Delhi – allegedly attempted to kiss the passenger when he dropped her off on Saturday night.
The passenger’s brother reportedly shared Uber’s response to the complaint on made about its driver, on social networks on Sunday. A case was filed the next day with local police, who said that said both the woman and the driver would be questioned.
Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi said, “We will look into it and whatever action is required, we will definitely take. We have impounded a number of such taxis and we have also take action under the Motor Vehicles Act.”
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In a statement, Gagan Bhatia, Uber’s general manager for Delhi said, “Our team immediately reached out to the rider via phone within a few minutes of receiving the feedback. Multiple members of the Uber team have spoken with the driver.
“Uber has a zero-tolerance policy towards inappropriate behaviour and immediate action has already been taken with the driver partner being deactivated while the matter is being thoroughly investigated. In order to protect the privacy of parties involved, we will continue to handle this matter directly with the concerned parties.”
Uber also confirmed that the driver had a valid commercial driving license.
The cab service was banned in New Delhi last December after the alleged rape of a passenger in the city. The driver, who denies the charges, is currently on trial on charges of rape and kidnapping.
Since then, Uber has introduced measures to improve rider safety in India, including comprehensive background checks on drivers and an SOS button in its mobile apps.
➤ Uber sexual assault case: Driver arrested near New Delhi [Firstpost]
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