New Delhi: In an effort to the bolster rider security, Uber Taxi service has introduced two new app based features for their passengers in India. The latest features, allows the users to share details of their whereabouts with up to five contacts, and to call the police through an SOS button in case of emergency.
‘Send Status', one of the features, is an advanced verison of ShareMyETA option. Passengers, after ordering the taxi, can share details of their ride with up to five pre-selected contacts. The details include the driver's photo, license plate number, and live GPS tracking. The movement of the Taxi can easily be tracked by their contacts in real time and the customer won't face any SMS charges.
The SOS button would let the users; quickly contact local authorities in case of an emergency. After tapping it, the rider will be prompted to confirm the call before placing it.
Last year, the company vowed to deploy a "local team of specially-trained safety experts" to strengthen background checks of its driver after the
Uber faced the wrath of media and authorities after one of its drivers was arrested for raping a female passenger near Delhi. The service was banned by the Delhi officials but the company resumed its operation last month after applying for a new license.
As per the recent government statistics, 585 cases of rape were reported in 2012, more than any other Indian city. This as most of the cases of sexual aasualt goes unreported as the victims and their families' fear disapproval from society.
The new features are currently available as an update for Android users, and an iOS version will be released soon
