Taxi hailing company Uber is set to roll out a recording safety feature which will allow drivers and passengers to record trip audio and share it with its support team in the event of a safety incident.
According to Uber, the feature, which is soon coming, seeks to make passengers feel as safe as possible when requesting a ride via the app.
“If you ever feel unsafe while on a trip, you can record audio directly through the Safety Toolkit in the newest version of the Uber app.
If a safety-related incident occurs, you can send the recording to the Uber Support team,” read part of Uber’s notice to its customers.
Furthermore, Uber customers will access the audio recording feature from the safety toolkit and can use it whenever they are riding.
What’s more, the feature also takes the privacy of the passengers into consideration.
Importantly, Uber will only review the audio if a passenger requests the Support team to do so.
Also Read: Uber Cracks Down on Drivers Illegally Operating Offline and Overcharging Customers
“Our team can only listen to an audio recording if you choose to share it with us through a safety ticket – available in the app.”
Further, audio recordings are encrypted and stored securely on your device.
This means that neither the passenger nor the driver will be able to access them, and Uber will not have access to the content without express permission from the rider.
Other Features
Taxi hailing companies continue to roll out measures to ensure the safety of the passengers in the world.
Amongst this include real time tracking where passengers can track their ride in real time.
This allows them to know where the driver is and when they’re expected to arrive.
Additionally, passengers can communicate with their driver through the app.
Passengers can also contact emergency services directly through the app and this allows them to get help as soon as possible.
For instance, Uber launched a safety feature which prompts drivers to “periodically” take selfies in the Uber app before they accept rides.
The photo is run through the system for verification and in case of a mismatch, the system blocks the account.
Also Read: Uber to Pay £615million in Tax Settlement Deal
History of Audio Recording Safety Feature
Noteworthy, the audio recording feature first hit the market in Latin America in 2019.
Collen Mphabantshi, senior operations manager for safety at Uber Sub-Saharan Africa, stated that it will offer passengers and drivers the peace of mind they need to travel with ease.
He further said was feature sought to improve conduct on the app.
Mphabantshi was speaking during the launch of the audio recording feature in South Africa on December 1,2022.
“Drivers have been asking for this feature based on their feedback from roundtable sessions, and we are excited to be rolling out this feature nationally,” said Mphabantshi.
Bolt Kidnap Case
The coming of the feature is good news for Kenyans after cases of rogue drivers and harassment of passengers.
On June 4, Erica Gachoka, daughter of media personality Ciku Muruiru, together with Shanice Agose were reported missing.
The two girls had ordered for Bolt taxi to transport them from Westlands to KIlimani.
Instead, the cab driver reportedly abducted them along Rhapta road in Westlands before a team of detectives rescued them.
Bolt Statement
After the incident, Bolt warned its app users against boarding any cab whose details do not match the ones on the app.
“We strongly discourage the use of vehicles that do not match the details on the platform, as this was one of the issues that led to this unfortunate incident,” the company stated.
