LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The deadly shooting rampage in Kalamazoo, Michigan, raises anew a question that has dogged Uber and other taxi competitors: Their rides may be cheaper and more convenient than a cab, but are they as safe?
It’s not just whether Uber’s part-time drivers are better (or worse) behind the wheel. It is whether passengers are more likely to be assaulted, kidnapped or raped by an Uber driver than a cabbie.
But it’s tough to find a credible answer. Police and transportation authorities around the U.S. say they know of no rigorous comparison of cabbies and Uber drivers.
