Uber India has come up with a new list of safety features that place emphasis on the safety of passengers and drivers, targeting women. The new additions arrive as the company seeks to respond to growing concerns about rider safety, especially for women.
Amongst the new features there include audio recording of trips, women rider preference and customization of safety settings together with an SOS button.
Audio recording is available for riders and drivers to record a conversation if they feel unsafe on the trip. The audio recording feature is accessible across India, and it complies with the one-party consent law in the country. The recordings are encrypted and stored securely, accessible only by Uber if they are submitted as part of a safety report, so both parties have a layer of security on their journey.
The women rider preference feature is the ability for women drivers to accept only female passengers. This has been well-received by female drivers, especially for late-night trips. This feature is designed to be able to create a safer and more comfortable environment for female drivers and passengers. Since it was launched, the feature has been used in over 21,000 trips and Uber plans to expand its female driver base, who make up only 2% of its overall driver population in India.
Uber has also included customizable safety settings, so riders and drivers can change their safety preferences to their needs. This gives them a bit more flexibility and control over how they approach their rides. The SOS button is another critical feature designed for emergencies, allowing users to quickly alert authorities or emergency contacts in case of an urgent situation.
These are part of the broader set of improvements Uber is doing to enhance safety in its services in India as it continually finds new ways to answer the security needs of this diverse user base. This will also help Uber enhance the overall safety experience for women riders by expanding its fleet of women drivers.
These updates give Uber the much-needed push towards ensuring its users’ safety and proper situating of a safe environment in India.
