A Brisbane Uber driver has been charged over allegedly holding a 25-year-old female passenger in his car for over an hour.
According to the Brisbane Times, police believe the woman ordered an Uber on Saturday at around 11pm to take her to bar in Fortitude Valley.
The driver, Umar Gammeda, allegedly drove the woman around for more than an hour in inner Brisbane and refused to pull over.
Police say Mr Gammeda drove in “a concerning manner”. The woman was not physically injured by the alleged ordeal.
The driver told 7News the incident was a misunderstanding.
“The GPS signal is, just got lost. And just we go the wrong way,” he explained.
“For her, she didn’t know the way.”
According to the ABC , the 45-year-old driver was charged with deprivation of liberty and will front a Brisbane court next month.
An Uber spokesperson said the they had taken immediate action following the accusations.
“Once we became aware of the allegation, we immediately blocked the driver’s access to the app,” the spokesperson said.
“The safety of Uber riders is paramount, and that’s why every driver on the app must hold a valid driver authority issued by the Department of Transport and Main Roads, including a criminal background and driver history check.”
