Uber's 4,000 drivers were not verified by cops

Uber, the United States-based cab service against which a first information report was registered by the police had around 4,000 drivers working for it in Delhi but the company had no idea whether any of them were verified by cops or had a Public Transport Vehicle (PSV) badge which is mandatory to drive any public transport vehicle in the city.

These startling revelations came to fore on Tuesday during the questioning of Uber's General Manager (Marketing) Gagan Bhatia by the Delhi police. This would mean further trouble for the company against which the police has registered a case under sections related to cheating and violating lawful orders against the App-based online booking company.

"An FIR has been registered against Uber for cheating its customers and violating lawful orders of government under section 420, 188 read with 34 Indian penal Code have been registered at Sarai Rohilla Police Station," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Madhur Verma.

Verma said that Bhatia told them that they have around 4,000 drivers and cabs on their rolls but they did not run any background check or see whether they had a public service PSV badge.

"They just have a three to four training for each driver during which they teach him out to talk and behave with customers and use the smartphone and the Uber App in it. That's it," said Verma.

Shiv Kumar Yadav, who was driving an Uber cab, had allegedly raped a 27-year-old financial executive on Friday night when the victim, who works for a finance company in Gurgaon, was headed back to her home in north Delhi's Inderlok area. He was later arrested from Mathura and is under three-day police custody.

According to the company's website, all Uber ridesharing and livery partners must go through a rigorous background check that leads the industry.

The Delhi police wondered why the same policy was not followed in Delhi where it was launched in October last year. Investigators here believe that the Uber App misrepresented the safety of its service.

The police also found that Uber and other similar companies which operate online platforms linking drivers with customers are registered in India as technology businesses rather than transport companies.

Prima facie it has emerged that the company had not formulated procedures to honor the promise of a safe service it advertises about and which people, especially women trust while traveling with them at odd hours.