KUALA LUMPUR – The lawyer representing a recent e-hailing passenger assault victim has criticised service provider inDrive’s driver selection process, suggesting that the company must now reassure the public about its supposedly strict vetting criteria.
Speaking with Scoop, lawyer Datuk Sheelan Arjunan said that even though inDrive maintains that its drivers are independent contractors, the company still owes a duty of care to its users.
“What is the driver selection process for inDrive? How did they vet the driver? Do they automatically accept anyone?
“Grab, for example, vets and verifies driver applicants with their relevant departments.
“An e-hailing company can’t just accept every driver without proper screening to compete with the market.
“inDrive must convince us that they are strict with their selection criteria,” Sheelan said when contacted.
In response to the assault, inDrive announced plans for policy reforms but has declined to specify what these will entail, citing confidentiality concerns.
Meanwhile, the victim has criticised the company’s handling of the incident on social media, indicating that the lack of transparency and slow response are troubling.
Sheelan also said that inDrive’s customer service must be held accountable for their interactions with passengers.
Prior to the assault, the victim had lodged a complaint via the inDrive app, which notified the driver. Subsequent complaints saw delayed responses from the company, exacerbating the victim’s ordeal.
“My client asked for the chat transcripts between my client and inDrive and they agreed to provide us with it.
“Later, they said the company requires us to provide them with the police report. When I handed that over, they said it was a police matter and they couldn’t share the transcript with us.”
He warned that if inDrive persists with its current driver policy, it could deter passengers from using their service.
“I would rather stand on the pavement and wave down a taxi because we use e-hailing services for safety too.”
Sheelan revealed that his client is prepared to take legal action against inDrive if the company fails to provide a satisfactory response within the week.
The assault incident occurred on June 13, when the victim booked an inDrive ride from her home to Colony Star, KLCC.
According to the police report, the driver began scolding the victim after she requested to avoid toll roads. Despite reporting the incident through the app’s chat support, the driver received a notification from inDrive but was not immediately suspended.
The driver allegedly stopped on the highway, assaulted the victim with a steel water bottle, and dragged her out of the vehicle.
The assault, captured on video and widely circulated on social media, led inDrive to permanently ban the driver from their platform. – July 1, 2024