Uber launches new safety features for Indian users (finally!)
In a major move, ride-hailing giant Uber has launched a bunch of new features to boost the safety of its riders and drivers in India. The capabilities, announced at an event in New Delhi, will be rolled out in the coming weeks, taking the Uber experience to a whole new level. Here's all you need to know about them.
First, there is PIN verification for rides
A few months after launching PIN verification in the US, Uber has launched the same capability in the Indian market. The option, as the name suggests, will show the rider a unique PIN, which they'd have to share with the driver to start the ride. This would help riders and drivers identify each other without any confusion, just like how Ola's OTP feature works.
In-car recording also available
Uber is also bringing in-car recording - an option both the rider and driver can use to record an incident during a ride. They won't be able to listen to the encrypted audio recording, but after the ride, there will be an option to send it to Uber's representatives while reporting a safety incident. They will then review the audio to take necessary action.
RideCheck to look for problems during ride
Finally, the company is adding RideCheck, the capability that proactively looks for issues - like long stops or wrong routes - during a ride. If an irregularity is flagged during a ride, Uber would trigger RideCheck and reach out to both the driver and rider to check if all is fine. The rider can also initiate a RideCheck to inform Uber about ride-related problems.
Gender sensitization workshops for Uber drivers
Along with this, Uber also claims to have conducted thousands of customized 'gender sensitization workshops' for its drivers in a partnership with renowned non-profit organization Manas Foundation. The company claims that the initiative has sensitized more than 50,000 drivers across eight cities in the country; it asserted it would continue the training program in the future.
