An Uber driver pulled over on the Western Freeway at Toowong about 11:30pm on Thursday and told a passenger the trip was longer than 10 minutes, refusing to continue.
Speaking to 7NEWS, the woman said the driver stopped without warning and became aggressive when she questioned the decision. "He pulled over without any warning and said, 'This trip is longer than 10 minutes. I'm not doing it,'" she said.
Left alone beside speeding traffic, she walked along the freeway to an overpass and waited about 40 minutes for another Uber. "He knew how far the journey was going to be when he accepted the job, so I was shocked he could just do that," she said.
Uber apologises and investigates
Uber apologised to the woman, refunded her fare and confirmed it is investigating the incident. The woman said the experience had shattered her confidence in rideshare services. "I don't feel like it's a safe option anymore," she said.
Calls for stronger passenger protections
Shine Lawyers senior associate Amelia Feachnie said rideshare drivers owe passengers a duty of care. "I find that morally abhorrent. They have a right to end up at their destination because that's what they've paid for," she said. She added that passengers could potentially seek compensation if they were injured after being abandoned.
Australian Taxi Industry Association chief executive Blair Davies described the incident as "unacceptable" and renewed calls for rideshare vehicles to meet the same safety requirements as taxis.