Uber on its unsafe cars in Singapore: ‘We could have done more’ to fix the problem

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Uber says that it is taking action to address a number of defective cars that it has rented to its drivers in Singapore after one of its Honda Vezel vehicles caught fire while on-road in the city-state.

The US company purchased over 1,000 Vezels and leased them to Singaporean drivers through its local subsidiary Lion City Rentals, despite Honda recalling the model in April 2016 after identifying electrical components in the car that presented a fire risk.

Internal emails and documents indicate that local Uber management – though not necessarily executives in the company’s US headquarters – were aware of the defects when they leased the cars, The Wall Street Journal reports.

In a statement sent to Tech in Asia, Uber said that as soon as it learned of the Vezel fire it “took swift action… in close coordination with Singapore’s Land Transport Authority as well as technical experts,” but acknowledges it “could have done more.” It goes on to state that Lion City Rentals has since hired three dedicated experts to ensure the company is “fully responsive” to safety recalls. Uber also said that this year it has “proactively responded to six vehicle recalls and will continue to do so to protect the safety of everyone who uses Uber.”

Uber has faced plenty of criticism for alleged mistreatment and negligence with regards to its drivers. Back in May it admitted that it had underpaid drivers in New York – an error that cost US$45 million to set straight – and it was forced to reveal during a lawsuit that it had shortchanged drivers in Philadelphia. Moreover, only about a quarter of drivers who sign up to Uber and pass its inspections process are still on the books a year later.

In Asia, Uber’s business model – which is reliant on private cars – has been fiercely opposed by many local taxi driver associations, and has come under the regulatory microscope in some countries. In some instance it has sought to partner with taxi drivers to bridge these differences, however.

The news of Uber’s apparent leasing of dangerous vehicles adds another dimension to the battle for domination the company is waging against regional ride-hailing rivals such as Go-Jek, Grab, and Ola. Based on app downloads data, Uber appears to be behind Grab in most Southeast Asian countries where both operate, with Go-Jek also beating the US company in Indonesia.