Uber increases focus on road safety, introduces THESE new features for users

Uber unveiled a bevy of brand-new technologically driven safety features on Tuesday, including audible rear seat belt reminders, proactive trip anomaly detection, customer SOS integration with local authorities, and more. The country's customer support for the ride-hailing service was also increased, and now users can report any safety concerns to Uber's 24x7 safety line. Concurrently, during the voyage and for up to 30 minutes after it has ended.

"The availability of safe and convenient mobility options needs to keep pace with the rapidly expanding cityscapes. It is heartening to see that the company is investing its resources to strengthen safety and support," said Ashish Kundra, Principal Secretary, Government of Delhi.

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The company said that experts from Uber`s twin support centres in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam are available round the clock for support and answer 99 percent of incoming calls "within the first 30 seconds".

Now, each time an Uber trip starts, there will be an audio rear seat belt reminder for riders on the driver`s phone along with a push notification on the rider`s phone. RideCheck is Uber`s tech-led feature to detect trip anomalies and offer support proactively.

Now, the company has expanded the capabilities of its RideCheck technology to detect when a trip takes an unexpected route or when a trip ends unexpectedly before the rider`s final destination.

Uber has also launched SOS integration with local police to share critical information, including live location. This feature is already live in Hyderabad, and the company is in active talks with major metro cities.

"Uber is committed to constantly investing in both technology and human intervention that improves the experience on the platform for drivers and riders," said Sooraj Nair, Head-Safety Operations, Uber India and South Asia.

Uber said its new Safety toolkit had been designed to give easy access to the help that a rider may need. It also has information about Uber`s different safety features that are available at the tap of a button, the company added.

With inputs from IANS