Uber reveals thousands of sexual assaults in America

SAN FRANCISCO: Ridesharing leader Uber, under fire around the world for its safety record, said it had tallied nearly 6,000 sexual assaults in the United States over the past couple of years.

That included more than 450 cases of rape, according to Uber’s first public report into the issue on Thursday, which counts attacks by both passengers and drivers over 2017-18.

It also revealed 19 fatal assaults related to the company over the two-year period, when it averaged more than 3.1 million trips each day in the United States. Sexual assaults were reported on 0.00002 percent of trips, Uber calculated.

"While these reports are rare, every report represents an individual who came forward to share an intensely painful experience," it said. "Even one report is one too many." "Drivers are victims, too," it said.

While the report is confined to Uber’s biggest market, the company faces complaints worldwide that it is doing too little to protect passengers.

In London, Uber has lost its licence after transport authorities said the company had failed to fix a litany of safety issues -- including at least 14,000 cases of drivers handing their permits to unlicensed friends or relatives. Uber continues to operate in the British capital pending an appeal.