A 35-year-old Uber driver was shot dead in Santiago, the capital of Chile as he attempted to resist being robbed by passengers, police said on Saturday. According to the police, three people had requested the ride on Friday using a cash payment option, which was introduced by Uber in 2016. The option does not require customers to register their credit card information.
When contacted, the Uber unit in Chile did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The company has been repeatedly criticized for not taking enough actions to prevent its drivers from being targeted by criminals. The criminals request rides using the cash option and later ambush drivers to help conceal their identity.
Last month, Reuters analysed the office crime data in Sao Paulo, Brazil and the report showed a sharp increase in robberies involving Uber drivers ever since the company started accepting cash payments in the city.
Chile's government proposed some regulations earlier this week for transportation companies, especially for those who operate via cellphone applications.
