So, I'm not a Uber fan, but I get the feeling this is India deflecting a couple of other underlying issues and placing blame.
Sooner or later they have to face the issue head on, because scapegoating gets old.
Sooner or later they have to face the issue head on, because scapegoating gets old.
The point is, Uber is claiming to be better than cabbies in that they screen drivers, etc. Clearly they aren't doing anything of the sort. So they are as unsafe as taking any other cab.
Not every situation in life has clear sides of "good guys" and "bad guys" or who's "to blame." Cause is a moving bar, and has different value depending what we are talking about causing.
Uber causes it's passengers to be in danger by not ensuring the people behind the wheel.
India on the other hand has a history of not punishing rapists. The guy gets acquitted of rape, because rape is too hard to prove under Indian law and because the juries are biased. edit: updated spelling
What's the value proposition of Uber in that case? Just the convenience of using the app?
I think the draw is upfront pricing? But I don't know, I've horror stories about that too.
There's something to be said for the user rating system as well in instances of grey areas. My (American) sister-in-law swears by Uber specifically because she's experienced unwarranted advances when taking both regular cabs and Uber cabs, but in the case of Uber she felt she had more recourse when something went awry.
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/06/photos-bhopal...