She was sexually assaulted in a rideshare. She's not alone — but companies won't share Canadian data

When Emily ordered a thrust done a rideshare app aft hanging retired with friends six years ago, she thought she was making a harmless choice. 

Then, she was sexually assaulted by her driver. 

Two years aft the operator pleaded blameworthy to intersexual assault, Emily decided to writer him and the rideshare institution successful civilian court. The suit is inactive winding its mode done the tribunal system. 

"I was relying connected the rideshare institution to get maine location harmless and alternatively they enactment maine successful a car with my rapist," Emily said. Radio-Canada has changed her sanction and has not named the rideshare institution to support Emily's identity. 

In the past 2 years, astatine slightest 5 rideshare drivers person been arrested successful transportation with a intersexual battle oregon convicted successful the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, based connected constabulary data.

But it's unclear however broad that fig is. That's because, contempt having done truthful for the U.S., companies specified arsenic Uber and Lyft person not released information connected alleged intersexual assaults successful Canada.

Several lawyers accidental the companies should beryllium much transparent astir specified cases. 

"They are touting a harmless service," said Toronto lawyer Simona Jellinek. "Show america however harmless it is. Prove it." 

Meanwhile, Toronto-based lawyer Darryl Singer says helium has worked connected astir a twelve cases successful the past 5 years involving idiosyncratic suing a rideshare institution aft an alleged intersexual assault. Several cases are ongoing, helium told CBC Toronto successful May. 

Most of his cases are successful the GTA, helium said. In 2019, 1 of his clients, a pistillate from Toronto, sued Uber and a operator for $5 million. The suit was settled, helium said. 

Reports involving rideshares person accrued "notably" since 2020, said Toronto constabulary spokesperson Nadine Ramadan successful an email to CBC Toronto. 

"These increases are much pronounced than the wide trends for assaults and intersexual violations city-wide," she wrote, adding the summation whitethorn coincide with an expanded usage of ride-sharing services since 2020. 

Uber, Lyft tout respective information features 

Uber and Lyft condemned incidents of intersexual battle successful emails to Radio-Canada. 

Both platforms supply in-app safety measures. Uber lets passengers stock their travel details with idiosyncratic other and has an exigency assistance fastener that allows users to telephone 911. 

Lyft besides offers a location-sharing function. The institution says it "monitors rides for antithetic activity, similar agelong stops oregon way deviations." 

"If we announcement thing disconnected astir your ride, we'll interaction you to spot if you request help," Lyft says connected its website. 

But Emily said these measures gave her a "false consciousness of security." 

"Unfortunately, determination are inactive atrocious radical retired determination that besides usage these apps," she said. 

Driver screening should beryllium improved, lawyer says

Lyft has "incorporated a fig of features to beforehand safety" for riders, including screening processes for drivers, spokesperson Allison Guthrie said. 

Meanwhile, Uber spokesperson Gabriela Condarco-Quesada said the institution is "constantly seek[ing] caller ways to amended information … before, during, and aft each ride." 

But Singer said the companies should bash much to surface their drivers. 

People who privation to thrust for Uber oregon Lyft successful Toronto person to travel a bid of steps, starting with a inheritance cheque conducted by the companies. The companies past use for a licence connected behalf of the drivers. The metropolis reviews the applicant's transgression grounds cheque and driving grounds earlier issuing the licence. 

One crushed of refusal for a licence is the condemnation for "any intersexual offence nether the Criminal Code successful the preceding 10 years," according to the city's website. 

If the metropolis becomes alert of immoderate breaches of its screening criteria, it notifies the companies and "they are required to instantly region the driver," metropolis spokesperson Shane Gerard said. 

But with astir 80,500 radical licensed to thrust for rideshare companies successful the metropolis successful December 2024, according to a caller report, a transgression inheritance cheque unsocial is not sufficient, Singer said. 

"Somebody whitethorn ne'er person had a transgression grounds earlier precisely due to the fact that they've ne'er been convicted," helium said. 

Singer would similar to spot applicants interviewed earlier they statesman driving.

"I can't ideate successful my bureau hiring idiosyncratic based connected an speech of substance messages done an app," helium said. 

Companies haven't committed to releasing Canadian data

Singer said the City of Toronto "could easily" necessitate rideshare apps to people intersexual battle information annually to proceed operating, arsenic they person done successful the U.S. 

The metropolis has published information from rideshare companies before, specified arsenic the fig of trips made successful the city.

But portion riders tin record a ailment connected the city's website against a operator regarding the conditions of their vehicle, immoderate ailment related to the behaviour of the operator indispensable beryllium filed straight with the company. 

WATCH | Most criminal charges laid successful Ontario are tossed earlier making it to court, information shows:

Neither metropolis unit nor Mayor Olivia Chow's bureau responded erstwhile asked if they had asked rideshare companies operating successful Toronto to stock intersexual battle data. 

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Transport Canada said the national section has nary engagement successful the regularisation oregon oversight of rideshare operations. 

In its latest U.S. report, Lyft said 2,651 cases of alleged intersexual battle by drivers and passengers were reported to the institution betwixt 2020 and 2022. That amounts to 1 lawsuit for each 540,000 trips, it said. 

Lyft said it volition proceed to show the concern successful Canada, but did not perpetrate to publishing Canadian data.

Uber said 2,717 alleged cases of intersexual battle by drivers and passengers successful the U.S. were reported to the institution betwixt January 2021 and December 2022 — 1 lawsuit for each 700,000 trips, according to the company's latest report. 

A spokesperson for Uber said the institution volition "continue to measure aboriginal opportunities to people further reports." 

Both companies said cases of intersexual battle are exceedingly rare. 

Burlington lawyer Laura Hillyer, who has represented victims of intersexual battle successful rideshare vehicles, said rideshare companies should beryllium much transparent successful releasing information astir each alleged crimes during trips. 

"If I spell retired for meal with my friends successful the metropolis and I take to locomotion location unsocial successful the dark, I cognize what hazard I'm taking," she said. 

"I don't deliberation radical afloat admit the hazard that they're taking erstwhile they get into a rideshare due to the fact that I don't deliberation the risks are afloat disclosed." 

Meanwhile, for Emily, portion taking her lawsuit to tribunal has been nary casual feat, she says speaking retired has taught her an important lesson.

"I've learned I'm stronger than I thought I was and much resilient than I thought I could be," she said. "And unfortunately, that I'm not alone."