Uber will now check in with you if it detects suspicious behaviour from your driver, as part of new measures to increase safety for users.
If the app detects a driver taking unusual routes or making prolonged stops, it will send a message to both the rider and the driver ‘to check if everything is OK’.
It will also check in with the rider and driver if a trip finishes in a location that isn’t the rider’s chosen destination.
A pop-up will automatically appear that gives the rider the chance to call for help – either by calling 999 or the Uber safety line.
The ridesharing giant wants to make passengers feel safer when they take a ride, following some high-profile cases involving drivers and passengers.
If Uber detects unusual routes, prolonged stops or if a trip finishes in a different location to the destination, this pop-up automatically appears that gives the rider the chance to call for help – either by calling 999 or the Uber safety line
In one case, an Uber driver was sentenced to death in 2019 for the rape and murder of British embassy worker Rebecca Dykes in Lebanon.
Last year, another Uber driver was found guilty of raping his female passenger during a trip in New Zealand.
Uber confirmed that the feature rolls out in the UK from Monday.
‘The safety of everyone who uses the Uber app is a top priority, which is why we have bolstered the safety features available on the Uber app,’ said Bex Xiao, head of community operations for Uber UK.
‘We know that when it comes to safety, our work is never done, which is why we will keep listening, learning and innovating.’
Uber users – either the driver or rider – are already able to flag that something is wrong on Uber using an Emergency Button, which is accessible by tapping the shield icon on their app’s map screen during a trip.
When a rider or driver uses the in-app emergency button to call 999, the car’s make and model, license plate, and GPS location are made available.
A poll commissioned by Uber has found 70 per cent of women feel more safe when they’re in a vehicle that can be tracked on an app.
The YouGov poll of more than 2,298 women, carried out in November this year, also found 72 per cent of women feel their safety is protected when they’re using an app whose journey details can be shared with friends and family.
Uber has stressed that incidents involving its platform are part of a small minority.
In London, more than 99.9 per cent of trips between February and July this year passed without the rider reporting a safety issue, it says in a new report.
‘Our platform is not immune to the challenges faced by society as a whole, such as violence, verbal abuse or sexual assaults, as well as general trends around road safety and motor vehicle accidents,’ the report says.
‘Although safety incidents on our platform are extremely rare, we are clear that one incident is still one too many.’
The ridesharing giant wants to make passengers feel safer when they take a ride, following some high-profile cases involving drivers and passengers (stock image)
Uber also revealed earlier this month that it will launch an optional audio recording pilot program in three US cities to enhance safety.
The pilot will allow drivers and riders to send trip recordings to Uber in case of a safety incident.
Also on Monday, the UK High Court declared Uber’s business model ‘unlawful’, which could trigger an overhaul of its UK operations.
A Supreme Court ruling in February declared Uber drivers are workers of Uber and are therefore entitled to benefits such as sick pay and minimum wage.
Uber argued that it acted as an agent’ between passengers and drivers, but the High Court has ruled this to be unlawful.
Uber, which is headquartered in San Francisco, is currently operating in the UK thanks to an 18-month licence extension granted by the courts in September 2020.
The ridesharing firm has had a torrid time getting approval from Transport for London (TfL) to operate on a long-term basis. TfL has previously cited passenger safety among the issues with the platform.
Uber