The Ride-Alling Indrive application is at risk of being abandoned in Laos after recent relations of sexual assault by drivers who have raised concerns about the lack of safety provisions for users, according to the state media.
A 15 -year -old girl reported to the police that she had been sexually assaulted by an indrive operator after booking a trip on Saturday in the capital, Vientiane, from the bus station to her workplace.
Vientiane police told RFA that they were aware of the complaint. It was not clear if the driver had been contacted or brought for interrogation.
In March, another leading driver was accused of having sexually assaulted a passenger and forcing her to watch a sexually explicit video on her phone.
Indrive has no physical presence in Laos, although it has become popular with drivers and passengers of the Southeast Asian Nation. The company has been founded in Russia and is now made up of California.
Last month, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport Lao asked that the government will take measures to close the carpooling application, alleging that it lacks certification in Laos, which makes its operations illegal.
A report by Vientiane Times managed by the State says that the ministry has also criticized the application to be “dangerous” and unworthy of confidence, because passengers have no way of contacting the company in the event of accidents or crimes.
The FRG has been maintained with taxi drivers recorded in Laos who have raised fears that the indrive drivers have not undergone any verification of the criminal history, despite the allegations of the company that all the drivers are verified.
RFA contacted Indrive via its website to wonder if the company helped the police concerning the last complaint, but the company did not respond.
The CEO of the company, Arsen Tomsky, moved to Ukraine after Russia has invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The company currently operates in nearly 900 cities in more than 48 countries, according to its website.
Indrive is a private company valued at more than $ 1.2 billion. Its key point of difference compared to other carpooling applications is that it allows passengers to barter with drivers on a price set for a trip.
Edited by Mat Pennington.