Sexual offence figures from the Met police, compiled by Transport for London, show that the number of taxi and private hire journey-related sexual offences hit 164 in the capital last year. It was also pointed out that there were none reported in Taxi journeys.
The figures on the TfL website have been dumbed down (again) and are lower than the figures gained by FOI request and published earlier this year, which show higher totals.
What TFL's figures actually show, is that over half of all offences were committed by Uber drivers.
Back in August, emails in the Sunday Times showed alleged offences include causing death by dangerous driving, careless driving, drink-driving, driving without insurance and speeding.
In the emails, which were written on July 7, Met Inspector Neil Billany raised 'concerns with Uber as an operator.
In a letter obtained by The Sunday Times, Inspector Billany, head of the Metropolitan police’s taxi and private hire unit, said he had “significant concern” that Uber seemed to be “deciding what crimes to report”, telling police only about “less serious matters” that would be “less damaging to [its] reputation”.
Billany accused Uber of “allowing situations to develop that clearly affect the safety and security of the public” by keeping from police crimes committed by drivers — including at least six sexual assaults on passengers, two public order offences and an assault.
In at least one of the sex cases, Uber continued to employ the driver, who went on to commit a more serious sex attack against a second woman passenger.
Billany said: “Had Uber notified police after the first offence, it would be right to assume the second would have been prevented.”
The victims complained to Uber and were left “strongly under the impression” it would tell police, but it did not do so, he added.
In the year to February 2017, Scotland Yard recorded 48 allegations of sexual assault involving Uber drivers, mostly reported by passengers but some made via the regulator, Transport for London (TfL).
Billany said Uber’s failure to report the public order cases meant the Met learnt too late to prosecute.
The letter — dated April 17 and sent to Helen Chapman, head of taxis and private hire at TfL — was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the chairwoman of the London Assembly’s transport committee, Caroline Pidgeon.
She said she was “deeply concerned”, adding: “This apparent cover-up of reports about such serious criminal activity is shameful.”
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