An Uber driver who sexually assaulted a teenage passenger in Glasgow has had his private hire licence revoked following a decision by councillors.
According to a report by the Glasgow Times, Dawit Tessema, 46, assaulted a 19-year-old woman after picking her up from Glasgow city centre. The attack took place in the Woodlands area on 15 September 2023.
Councillors voted to revoke Tessema’s private hire car licence after it had already been suspended on public safety grounds. A licensing report stated that his continued operation as a private hire driver was considered “likely to cause a serious threat to public safety”.
Tessema had only been granted his private hire licence on 26 July 2023 — less than two months before the offence took place. He was jailed for two years last week and placed on the sex offenders register. His licence was formally suspended the day after his conviction.
DM News Commentary
This case raises serious questions around safeguarding, licensing checks, and how quickly new drivers are able to enter the private hire system. The fact that the licence was issued just weeks before such a serious offence will inevitably fuel ongoing debates around driver vetting, monitoring, and whether existing safeguards go far enough to protect passengers.
While the overwhelming majority of taxi and private hire drivers operate professionally and safely, incidents like this damage trust across the entire trade. For passengers, confidence in the licensing system is critical — and for drivers who do the job properly, robust enforcement helps separate the industry from those who should never be behind the wheel.
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