At the end of last week, Uber announced the new Safety Toolkit which, over the next few weeks, will be rolled out to riders, drivers and delivery-partners using the app across Europe, Middle East and Africa. These security features, mirror what Little, a Kenyan ride-hailing app, has, with a few improvements. The toolkit will introduce new features which aim to improve on the safety of users within the app.
Ever since he took office, Uber’s new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has introduced a number of changes to the service including Injury Protection cover for drivers, delivery-partners and riders, driving hour limits and Driver Share my Trip.
“With more than 15 million trips on the Uber app every day, there is nothing more important than the safety of riders, drivers and couriers. Over the last year, we’ve been working to develop innovative products that increase transparency, accountability and peace of mind for all users. The rollout of our new Safety Toolkit features across Europe, the Middle East and Africa is the next step in making sure that we’re helping everyone stay safe and connected, wherever you might be,” said Sachin Kansal, Uber’s Global Head of Safety Product.
Features that will be introduced as part of the new rider and driver safety toolkit, include:
- Emergency button – With the push of a button in the app, riders, drivers and delivery-partners can connect directly to private emergency services and security response when needed through a third party private security supplier
- Trusted Contacts – Riders can now easily designate five friends or family members as “trusted contacts” and, with a single tap, share their trip information which is easily customisable in their trip sharing preferences.
- Safety Centre – A new app-housed safety information hub where users can find information on some of the key existing safety tools in the app, including our 24/7 team, information on the driver and the car, trip GPS-tracking and our rating and feedback system.
- Speed alerts – A feature which reminds drivers and delivery partners to maintain a safe speed within the posted speed limits.
These new safety features will be a phased rollout, thus it may take some time before you notice any changes on your app.
