Uber warns of a ‘coordinated assault’ on its drivers as debate over ridesharing is marred by violence

A SERIES of violent incidents involving Uber is the latest front in the company’s dramatic battle with the taxi industry.

FEARS are mounting of an intimidation campaign against Uber drivers after an attack in Brisbane this morning, the latest in a string of violent incidents involving the platform.

The ride-sharing company has expressed concerns that the attack could be part of a coordinated assault on its operations.

A group of men set upon two drivers as they sat in their cars at Wickham Street in Fortitude Valley and River Terrace in Kangaroo Point, early this morning.

Both drivers were punched and their cars damaged, while one had his mobile phone stolen, between 1.50 and 3.15am.

Queensland Police said the men, who have not been found, had also targeted a third motorist who didn’t work for Uber.

The 49-year-old man’s car was also damaged in the attack and he was treated at the scene for cuts and bruises to his head.

Uber said it was “very concerned” about the attacks, adding the safety of its drivers and passengers was a priority.

“The taxi lobby and its associates have long used fear, misinformation and intimidation in its campaign against ride-sharing and it would be a very worrying turn of events if these alleged assaults happened as a result of this campaign,” a company spokesman said in a statement.

“We call on Taxi Council Queensland to condemn this type of behaviour immediately.”

The Taxi Council of Queensland is expected to issue a statement in response this afternoon.

Last week, the body warned that the battle between taxis and Uber was “only the beginning of a major war” between the rival players.

News.com.au does not suggest that taxi drivers or the taxi industry were behind this morning’s assault.

Some stakeholders have taken the ACT government’s move to regulate — and thus legalise — UberX as a sign that broader reforms may be on the cards, with the platform’s acceptance by governments around the country only a matter of time.

Protests erupted around Australia last month as taxi drivers demanded that UberX either be shut down, or the playing field levelled.

Uber drivers have been targeted in violent incidents around the world, as similar developments have enraged those whose livelihoods are threatened by the disruptive technology platform.

A violent mob descended upon Uber drivers in Mexico in July after that country moved to regulate ridesharing, attacking the drivers and their cars with clubs and stones, The Guardian reported.

Video of the demonstration — which was organised by a taxi drivers’ union and took place outside Mexico City airport — showed people throwing eggs and flour at vehicles, with one protester shattering a sedan’s rear window.

Uber labelled the incident “a very grave attack on everyone’s freedom and right to make a living in a dignified manner”.

This morning’s attack comes a month after an Uber driver was accused of running over a female passenger on the Gold Coast.

Sascha Pangallo posted battered and bruised images on Facebook, claiming she suffered a broken leg and blood clot after an Uber driver allegedly dragged her from his car before running her over.

Ms Pangallo had booked her regular Uber home from work in Surfer’s Paradise on September 4, but got a nasty shock after the driver became irate that she was talking on her mobile phone, then suddenly turned into an “absolute maniac” and started “getting very physical, grabbing me and trying to drag me out of the car”, she claimed.

“Little did I know on this particular afternoon I would be stepping into an Uber with a psychotic, mentally unstable driver,” Ms Pangallo wrote on her Facebook page.

Ms Pangallo posted images of her injuries on Facebook.

“After refusing to put my destination into his GPS he requested my directing (which I had no problem with); however, I was on an important phone call, and during one of the directions he snapped and screamed at me in a very aggressive manner.

“My door was still open as I was frantically trying to grab my bags out of the car and before I could get away I was thrown to the ground and my leg was being run over,” she wrote.

Uber told Channel 7 it had removed the driver from its ridesharing platform and was working with authorities.

The driver had reportedly passed Uber’s background checks because of previous work as a taxi driver, but it later emerged that he had been sacked by Gold Coast Cabs.

“Safety is our top priority and we will work with the authorities on their investigation,” an Uber spokesman said in a statement to the Daily Mail.

“Our thoughts are with the injured woman and we wish her a full and speedy recovery.”

In August, an Uber driver in North Carolina was accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a young female passenger, the latest in a long list of alleged violent ridesharing incidents in the United States.

Middle school teacher Patrick Aiello, 39, was arrested and removed from the ride-sharing platform after allegedly demanding sexual favours from a 23-year-old intoxicated female passenger in his car, CBS News reports.

The woman said Aiello attacked and sexually assaulted her before kicking her out of the car.

A Western Australian Uber driver was charged with a sex attack on a passenger in July, WA Today reported.

The 51-year-old Scarborough man is accused of indecently assaulting a 20-year-old woman he picked up at an address in a southern Perth suburb on June 27.

He was arrested and charged with one count of unlawful and indecent assault.

Anyone with information about a crime committed in Australia is urged to contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestoppers.com.au

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Originally published as Uber warns of a ‘coordinated assault’ on its drivers as debate over ridesharing is marred by violence