Uber today announced the launch of a slew of new and expanded technology-led safety features. This is an attempt to strengthen customer support in India. The company has always adhered to the ‘standing for safety’ as its core value. Thus they are committing themselves to invest in technology and human intervention to make Uber rides safer for all.
Starting from the creation of new industry standards to the development of technology. The aim is to reduce incidents thus proving Uber’s commitment to safety.
The key safety feature introduced at the event
Audio rear seatbelt reminder. Uber is taking the taking rear seatbelt adoption very seriously. Each time an Uber trip starts, an audio rear seat belt reminder will alert the passenger. This will play on riders on the driver’s phone along with a push notification on the rider’s phone. This move will motivate the riders to buckle up and stay safe.
RideCheck 3.0: RideCheck is Uber’s tech-led feature to real-time detect trip anomalies and offer support. It was introduced in India back in 2019 to detect ‘long stops’. Each time the system detects an unusually long stop during a ride. Both the rider and driver will receive a notification asking if everything was ok. Now, Uber has further expanded the capabilities of its RideCheck technology. It is now capable of detecting when a trip takes an unexpected route or when a trip ends unexpectedly before the rider’s final destination.
SOS Integration: Uber already has an in-app emergency button for all riders. This connects riders and drivers to their local emergency number with the simple tap of a button. Now, Uber has also added SOS integration with local police. The feature is already live in Hyderabad and the company is in active talks with major metro cities.
Revamped safety toolkit: Uber’s new Safety toolkit features brand-new features. It has been designed to give easy access to the help that a rider may need. It also has all the necessary information related to Uber’s different safety features that are available at the tap of a button.
Expanded support: Uber’s 24×7 safety hotline allows riders to call them at 88006-88666 from their phone. They can also access it via the Uber app to connect to a live support agent. Now, this line is available to riders to report any safety issues while on the trip and up to 30 minutes after the trip has ended. Under this, experts from Uber’s twin support centres in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam are available round the clock for support. They will answer 99 per cent of incoming calls within the first 30 seconds.
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