Uber, one of India’s largest cab-hailing giants, has announced some new updates to its platform to address the escalating driver-related incidents going on for some time now. These new features are part of a pilot program that uber is set out to test in the real world.
This announcement majorly pans out Uber’s intention to enhance security standards and represent their outlook in the eyes of everyday users. Let’s check out some of the features and announcements in depth.
RideCheck:
This particular feature will allow Uber to flag trip irregularities which arise from conditions such as long unexpected stops. The flagged trip would initiate a push notification to both driver and rider, asking for any assistance if required. This would actively curtail any wrong intensions and raise the security of women users.
Audio Recording:
Once introduced, this feature would allow the device to record the audio of the on-going trip. After the journey ends, the user has the option to report any incident with the audio evidence that would be sent to Uber customer agents in an encrypted format for taking further appropriate actions.
PIN Verification:
The safety PIN is a trip verification feature that the rival OLA had introduced way back in 2017 comes to Uber now. This system ensures riders are getting in the car they are matched up. Uber is also working on advanced technology such as ultrasound waves to transmit the PIN to verify the passengers wirelessly.
Moreover, Uber has recently partnered with the non-profit MANAS foundation, which has conducted several “gender sensitization workshops” for its drivers to enhance user experience. These efforts have so far reached about 50,000 drivers with more in the pipeline.
Sachin Kansal, Senior Director of Global Safety Products, Uber, said,
“Our global safety product team has a simple but critical mission: to help set benchmarks for ridesharing safety. Over the past three years, we have introduced several features to enhance safety standards on our platform. Today, we raise the bar again as we work towards adding Audio Recording in India as a pilot this year and roll-out the RideCheck feature for long stop and midway drop-offs. We have been piloting and refining these features in different markets globally to ensure they work well for both our riders and driver-partners. Privacy is incredibly important for Uber, and all these tools are designed, keeping that in mind. We will continue to refine these technologies so we can help make every ride a 5-star experience for all.
