Source: Gasgoo
According to the foreign media, the online ride-hailing company Uber said it is enhancing its safety features for passengers around the world to minimize risk and ensure the safety of female riders when riding at night.
These features will allow riders to choose from four security preferences during a ride, including encrypted recording, PIN verification and real-time location sharing. These security preferences are currently available in the United States, Canada and Latin America. It will be expanded to more countries in the coming weeks.
Uber has faced scrutiny over the years because drivers allegedly assaulted passengers. Complaints from passengers include the company’s failure to conduct proper background checks on drivers and inadequate safety training.
Image source: Uber
Besides, Uber has faced multiple lawsuits from victims alleging that the ride-sharing platform failed to prevent passengers from being sexually assaulted by drivers. Uber said in 2022 that it received about 3,800 reports of serious sexual assaults in the United States between 2019 and 2020, down from nearly 6,000 in the previous two years.
In addition to passenger safety, Uber has been working to ensure the road safety of motorcycle couriers. Uber Eats, its food delivery platform, signed a charter to prevent traffic accidents in London last year.
Lilli Matson, TFL’s chief safety officer, said the huge growth in motorcycle deliveries over the past few years must not come at the expense of safety. “People tragically lose their lives in motorcycle collisions that could have been avoided, and often these accidents also result in other drivers being injured or killed. That is why we are working closely with delivery, courier and service companies to tackle these road hazards and protect the lives of riders and others on London’s streets.”
