Uber Bangladesh temporarily suspends hundreds of drivers

Uber Bangladesh recently suspended hundreds of drivers on its platform temporarily.

When asked, Md. Ali Armanur Rahman, Region Head of East India & Bangladesh, Uber, confirmed the news to The Daily Star, citing that drivers had been notified several times for excessive ride cancellations and refusal to accept digital payments.

An employee of Uber, requesting anonymity, has informed that the drivers who were purged had complaints against them. These complaints ranged from asking for tips to enticing off-platform trips. 

In response to a few queries from The Daily Star, Uber shared a statement where an Uber spokesperson said that these drivers have been proactively communicated. 

The statement also said, "We strongly discourage off-platform trips as these have no accountability or safety support for either riders or drivers. Trips taken offline are not on GPS, and, therefore, cannot be tracked. Riders and drivers on an offline trip don't have access to any safety feature hosted within the Uber app or access to the safety support team of Uber. Recently, the BRTA has also warned riders and drivers against street-hailed trips."

However, a few drivers told The Daily Star that Uber Bangladesh had abruptly suspended their accounts 'temporarily'. As a result, many affected drivers have switched to competitor platforms or are taking off-platform trips on a contractual basis. 

Some customers have, however, lauded the initiative of Uber on social media. 

The statement from Uber also failed to mention the exact number of drivers who were affected by this suspension. Industry insiders predict that the number can be up to several hundreds.