New Delhi: US online taxi-hailing service Uber has applied for a radio taxi licence and will restart operations in New Delhi, after it was banned following allegations that one of its drivers raped a female passenger, a company spokesman said.

Uber will improve passenger safety by introducing additional safety measures including more stringent driver checks, an in-app emergency button and a dedicated incident response team, the company said.

Last year, in December, a 27-year-old financial executive had alleged that she fell asleep in an Uber cab on her way home and was raped by the driver in a deserted area. The driver, Shiv Kumar Yadav, was arrested and a fast-track trial has begun.

Taking stringent measures, Delhi government blacklisted Uber from operating in the capital after the incident.

It was revealed that the accused was out on bail for sexual assault and Uber acknowledged that it did not carry out background checks on drivers in India.