Uber in India: Company to Look at Criminal Court Records When Choosing Drivers After Rape Accusation, Ban
The U.S. company Uber Technologies Inc. has tightened background screening of drivers in India.
According to Reuters, the company will include inspections of criminal court records in its screening efforts.
The San Francisco-based taxi company, operational through an app on smartphones, was banned from operating in New Delhi after a young woman claimed an Uber driver raped her.
According to officials, Uber failed to properly check the criminal background of the driver that committed the rape. Apparently, the driver was held three years prior on suspicion of rape and was later acquitted.
The apps' services had been banned since the allegations surfaced. Last month, the company restarted operations after applying for a radio taxi license.
As part of their renewed efforts to better background checks, Uber joined First Advantage, a global background screening company. This allows the company to run additional checks through past criminal court records and a national database search.
The company has also asked drivers in India for several forms of government identification documents as well as a police verification certificate before being enrolled as a driver.
In the United States Uber utilizes a three-step screening on drivers. Courthouse records from the past seven years are checked.
The company's largest market is in India, coming second to the United States.
The allegations in India are not the first time the company has faced criticism for crimes committed by their drivers.
According to a previous story, Uber currently faces bans and legal action in several countries including the United States, France, Spain and Thailand.
Both France and Spain have banned UberPop. The app allows drivers without taxi licenses to register with the service and offer trips in their cars for a cheaper price.
Uber customers use their smartphones to call for taxis through the company's app. Independent operators drive the taxis.
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