No Smooching, Forget Sex in Uber

No touching, no flirting and no sex with passengers were among the community guidelines rolled out by Uber India recently for its drivers in 22 cities.

Drivers stand to lose access to Uber if they are ever found disobeying the guidelines. 

While the company allows its drivers to chat with passengers, the guidelines state:  “Don’t comment on someone’s appearance or ask whether they are single. Don’t touch or flirt with other people in the car. As a reminder, Uber has a no sex rule. That’s no sexual conduct between drivers and riders, no matter what."

Drivers will also be banned for life in case of unwanted contact with a passenger after the trip is over. 

“Texting, calling, or visiting someone in person after a ride has been completed is completely out of bounds,” Uber India said.

Uber has more than 2.5 lakh cabs associated with it across major Indian cities.

The guidelines come in the wake of increasing reports of driver misconduct by drivers in the Indian taxi industry. Such cases have dogged Uber globally as well. 

In 2015, Uber was banned in Delhi following the alleged rape of a 27-year old woman executive who had dozed off in the backseat on her way home from a dinner party. Indian rival Ola was also embroiled in controversy after the alleged rape case of a Japanese tourist in Jaipur in 2015.

Driver rating

Uber India has also revealed that its driver rating is based upon cancellation rate.

Driver cancellation rate is based on the number of trips cancelled by the passenger out of the total number of trips that drivers accept. High-quality drivers typically have a cancellation rate lower than 5 percent.

“Each city has a maximum cancellation rate, based on the average cancellation rate of drivers in that area. If your cancellation rate continues to exceed the maximum limit, you may lose access to your account,” Uber disclosed to its drivers.