Now, It’s USA’s Turn to Grill Uber

The Indian woman who was sexually assaulted by a driver of the Private Taxi Network Uber, while she was travelling in the capital in December, has decided to press charges against the San Francisco–based firm in a U.S. federal court in California, on the grounds that the company failed in ensuring even basic security measures for its clients.

The app-based taxi service operates through oline bookings, and so do its short-sighted precautionary mechanisms. The driver, whom is to have the Uber App installed on their phone, is tracked through the phone’s GPS, which can as easily be turned off as it can be kept on, a loophole the taxi driver exploited.

The woman, in her lawsuit on Thursday, called the company the “modern day equivalent of electronic hitchhiking.” She has called upon Uber to up its game in ensuring safety practices, and has sought damages in the case, according to Reuters.

The news agency quoted Uber as saying that it’s “deepest sympathies remain with the victim of this horrific crime.”

According to Time, The woman had reportedly sought to avail the law-enforcing prowess of Douglas Wigdor- the same high-profile U.S. lawyer who represented Nafissatou Diallo, the New York City hotel maid who accused the former International Monetary Fund managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault.

This assault renewed concerns of women security in the capital that had arisen after the horrific Gang Rape of a student on a moving bus on December 16, 2012. Private taxi services were banned in several states in the country, following this incident.

Original Source:  Time

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