How Uber has let almost ALL drivers accused of sexual misconduct by passengers to KEEP their jobs  

Almost all Uber drivers accused of sexual misconduct in NSW were allowed to carry on driving for the rideshare app, a government audit has found.

The confidential report by the NSW Point to Point Transport Commission found 94 per cent of drivers kept picking up passengers after a sex pest complaint.

Some were even allowed to stay on the app despite repeated complaints ‘without appropriate action or investigation’, says the audit.

‘The systems and processes look at incidents of each category in isolation but not overall,’ the audit found.

‘As a result, the drivers with multiple incidents remain undetected and active in the platform.’

As well as sexual misconduct, , The Australian revealed drivers were also accused of being dangerously distracted by their phone while driving and driving while drowsy.

Investigators also found Uber failed to report some incidents that they were required to by law, including violent clashes between passengers and drivers.

And the report slammed the app’s poor driver training, with more than a quarter of Uber drivers surveyed getting less than 20 minutes of tuition and one in 10 got going after just 10 minutes.

Uber were fined $200,000 for the breaches and given notes on 13 areas where they needed to improve – but the audit has not been made public.

It also found some incidents had been trivialised, including one which was written off as a verbal altercation, after a driver claimed a passenger punched the back of his head, while the passenger accused the driver of spitting and swearing at him.

A confidential report by the NSW Point to Point Transport Commission found 94 per cent of drivers kept picking up passengers after a sex pest complaint. (Pictured, a stock image of an Uber vehicle)

Similar incidents should be reported to the regulator but the audit found Uber had ignored hundreds of flare-ups.

Uber later admitted they had found 735 incidents that should have been reported. 

Investigators also found almost four out of ten drivers worked for more than 12 hours, with some working up to 17 hours, raising serious driver fatigue fears.  

An Uber spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that they ‘welcomed any opportunity to improve safety’. 

‘Sexual harassment pervades every industry and every community globally – and rideshare and other transport modes are no exception. 

Some drivers were even allowed to stay on the Uber app (pictured) despite repeated complaints ‘without appropriate action or investigation’, says the audit

‘That is why we encourage reporting from both driver-partners and riders to help keep the entire Uber community safe.

‘While many of the most common unwanted sexual experiences may not fall into the most severe category of sexual assault, they may nevertheless leave the rider feeling uncomfortable. 

‘We encourage reporting, including sexual misconduct which includes incidents of asking personal questions, staring or leering, and inappropriate comments or gestures.’

Uber added: ‘On-Trip Reporting enables riders to discreetly report non-emergency situations where they may feel uncomfortable and Uber’s safety team follows up after the trip. 

‘Repeated reports of such misconduct may result in permanent loss of access to the Uber app.

‘When we receive more serious reports of sexual misconduct or of sexual assault access to the app is suspended while our specialist team looks into the report, and permanent loss of access generally follows. 

‘We also assist in police investigations and routinely support law enforcement to help keep bad actors out of the rideshare industry.’  

NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner Anthony Wing (pictured) said Uber had responded to all the ‘directions in connection with the safety audit that have been due to date’.

NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner Anthony Wing told The Australian that Uber had responded to all the ‘directions in connection with the safety audit that have been due to date.’ 

The commission defended keeping the audit secret, saying the reports were not made public to protect commercially sensitive information. 

A spokesman told Daily Mail Australia: ‘Safety is the Commissioner’s priority. 

‘All service providers must make sure their systems and process are being consistently and effectively applied. 

‘Audits are conducted regularly to ensure all service providers’ systems and process are working as they should.

‘Uber’s incident management system was generally not effective enough and required improvement.’