Will we reap the Uber whirlwind?

If there was any fear that artificial intelligence (AI) was going to take over our jobs then this would probably be one reason not to worry too much about it. And that is when we look at the services, Uber the taxi-hailing company offers. 

This digitally supported taxi service which is remotely operated and supported away from the country created waves, if not a tsunami in the social media stratosphere when one of its patrons wrote a very emotional post claiming that the driver of an Uber taxi tried to stab him in the stomach. This had over 1700 shares and thousands of views and very critical comments about Uber’s service.

Previous happenings
This is not the first time this has happened.  In November last year, an Uber passenger was attacked in Hokandara by the Uber tuk driver he was riding with.  The driver slammed the passenger’s head against the metal pole of the vehicle with enough force to crack his skull, then pushed the unconscious man out of his three-wheeler, leaving him for dead. Luckily for the passenger, a passer-by was kind enough to call an ambulance and get him to a hospital in time to save his life.

In both these instances, the common factor was that there was no local office for patrons to complain and bring the driver to book. In fact, it took some time for the police to trace the perpetrator of this crime in Hokandara due to the fact that there was no local office for UBER to handle the complaint.  It was later reported that the local police brought him to book and produced before the Magistrate, how much responsibility Uber took for the incident is anybody’s guess.

In the more recent case of the alleged knife-wielding Uber driver, the story still remains one-sided as we really don’t know the nitty-gritty of what happened in the early hours of last Sunday morning.  The passenger claims that after the attempted knife attack had failed the driver tried to run him and his friend down by chasing them in his vehicle. Even though no bodily harm occurred, it is clear from the messages on social media that people are deeply troubled by the incident and most have used the forum to record their own displeasure about Uber’s service.
While the social media comments have touched on many issues regarding this company, some have asked for proper verification of the story as there does not seem to have been a police report filed as yet and therefore the credibility of the post is questioned. One interesting comment said that the US courts had held Uber responsible for the actions of their drivers and therefore, that this incident could vicariously lead to Uber being held responsible.

Be that as it may, this situation about road rage and anger of drivers should not be unique to Uber.  As we all know, everybody gets angry on the road and sometimes people lose control, but what is of concern is that Uber drivers seem to be doing it with impunity. Is it because the app does not facilitate accountability and the drivers feel they can get away with anything? On the other hand, non-accountability might be the hallmark of this type of business because it tries to operate without a human face.

Someone accountable locally 
Having said that, one may ask about similar apps that operate in Sri Lanka. Have situations like this been reported on taxi hailing services operated by other app operators?  The answer to this is yes but the difference is there is someone in Sri Lanka who is accountable and can be contacted by any rider in distress.  That would mean these operators run physical offices on the island and therefore are in a position to do that.

Given these circumstances, one would think from Uber’s standpoint, it is of vital importance for them to position someone in Sri Lanka who could whet drivers prior to hiring, handle complaints and is empowered to act i.e. facilitate officers of the law to apprehend any perpetrators. This would not only help passengers feel safe but would also create a safety net for their drivers. Overall it would make the service that much better and sophisticated not to mention accountable.

Technology companies are mushrooming everywhere, and we have been told that it is only a matter of time before they become an integral part of our lives in the future. Be that as it may, can we tolerate lawlessness just for the sake of convenience. These apps not only create convenience for customers but also become part of the larger tech industry which creates a livelihood by itself for a whole new segment of our society. But if there are no proper checks and balances, this is going to be one big disaster in the making.  It will only allow room for criminal activity in a very unexpected area of our lives.

One of the best examples of turning a blind eye is the rape culture in India, which through negligence and lawlessness, has turned in to a serious social crisis. This is the sad result of decades going by without perpetrators being brought to book. Should we wait for our issue to turn into this kind of crisis before we find the solutions?

The solution lies in tweaking the system and focusing on the right policies. There has to be a level playing field for app operators and tech companies that are being set up. It is vital for any business operating in this country to follow the same rules and to be physically present. If this cannot be done then what we will reap is the whirlwind.

(This writer can be contacted via [email protected])