Uber's 'global safety standard' not applied in India

Had International cab company Uber applied its global safety standard of not hiring drivers with a criminal record in India also, the rape of a 25-year-old working woman by one of the company's drivers in Delhi could have been averted.

According to Uber's US website, all its drivers in the country "go through a rigorous background check" and are made to undergo a "three-step screening" process which includes county, federal and multi-state checks that go back seven years.

Obviously, if the same standard had been applied in Delhi, the driver Shiv Kumar Yadav who allegedly raped the woman commuter would never have been hired as he was an accused in another rape case and had spent seven months in Tihar Jail in 2011.

"All Uber ridesharing and livery partners must go through a rigorous background check that leads the industry. The three-step screening we've developed across the United States, which includes county, federal and multi-state checks, has set a new standard. These checks go back 7 years."

"We apply this comprehensive and new industry standard consistently across all Uber products, including uberX," the company which was banned by the Delhi government says on its website.

However, when it comes to its operations out of US, the company doesn't hesitate to boast about setting the "strictest safety standards possible" and claiming that the safety standards in US are applied around the world.

"Wherever you are around the world, Uber is committed to connecting you to the safest ride on the road. That means setting the strictest safety standards possible, then working hard to improve them every day.

"The specifics vary depending on what local governments allow, but within each city we operate, we aim to go above and beyond local requirements to ensure your comfort and security - what we're doing in the US is an example of our standards around the world," the company says.

Meanwhile, an online petition slamming the "double standards" of the company was started Monday on Change.org.

The petition which has received support from over 6,000 people so far is addressed to Travis Kalanick, CEO of the San Francisco-based cab company demanding that the seven-year background check for all drivers be made mandatory in India.