Uber is being sued for sex discrimination amid claims the taxi giant puts women drivers in peril
The anonymous employee says the app system forces them to take fares to dodgy areas
TROUBLED taxi firm Uber is facing a sex discrimination case from a woman driver who says the firm puts female cabbies at risk.
The 44-year-old Londoner said drivers don’t know their passenger’s destination until they get in the car and cannot cancel if it is going to an remote or unsafe area.
She also claims Uber journey’s cannot be cancelled if the customer becomes aggressive as asking them could result in a complaint or a low rating, which could affect future work.
The claim is being brought by GMB union, who are represented by law firm Leigh Day on behalf of the female Uber driver, who asked to remain anonymous.
The claim at the Central London Employment Tribunal argues that Uber should allow drivers to challenge complaints and low ratings, so that drivers do not risk losing their jobs if they ask passengers to leave their cars for their own safety.
Leigh Day employment lawyer Nigel Mackay, said: “We believe that Uber’s policies do not do enough to protect female drivers.
"In particular, if a driver is faced with the threat of assault from a passenger and asks him to leave, she risks complaints and low ratings, with no right of reply, and ultimately may lose her job as a result.
“Our client no longer feels able to drive in the evening or at night time, suffering a loss of income as a result.”
The legal challenge comes after TfL stripped Uber of its licence to operate in London on the grounds of “public safety and security implications”.
A Uber spokesman said: “Drivers on the Uber app are free to log in and out as they want and can choose which trips they want to take, or cancel, without any penalty.
If a driver doesn’t want to go to a particular area there is no obligation for them to do so. Drivers can also set a preferred destination in the app and Uber will only allocate bookings heading that way.
One of the main reasons why women choose to drive with Uber is because of the safety features in the app. All trips are GPS tracked and a driver is able to share a live map of their trip with a friend or loved one.”