Uber finally acts on sex attacks by its drivers

UBER has promised to report serious incidents such as allegations of sexual assaults by drivers to police as part of efforts to improve safety.

The taxi app firm said it had previously ‘encouraged and supported’ passengers to report incidents but that it would now be more ‘proactive’.

Passengers will also be able to report any incident to a 24-hour helpline, a measure Uber has previously resisted.

The firm announced plans yesterday to give customers more access to information including the licensing authority and private hire number of their driver.

It comes as Uber prepares to appeal against a decision by Transport for London to refuse it a new license to operate in the city after concluding the service is ‘not a fit and proper operator’.

The company said the reporting policy is already used in the capital and it plans to roll it out across the UK.

But Labour MP Wes Streeting, a vocal critic of Uber, said: ‘Many will wonder why something as basic as proactively reporting sex attacks to police hasn’t already taken place. For many this will look more like a well-executed PR exercise than a real desire to change.’