RIYADH —Uber on Monday announced the new Safety Toolkit which, over the next few weeks, will be rolled out to riders, drivers and couriers using the app across the Kingdom. The toolkit will introduce new innovative features which aim to raise the bar on safety, and increase transparency, accountability and peace of mind for all users.

Since launching the app, Uber has provided millions of people with technology that allows them to get a ride at the push of a button, track every trip with GPS technology and report any issues 24/7 with a dedicated safety team. With the introduction of new safety features, the company aims to double down on safety and help make the Uber community safer.

Features that will be introduced as part of the new rider and driver safety toolkit, include:

Emergency button - With the push of a button in the app, riders and drivers/couriers can connect directly to emergency assistance service when needed.

Trusted Contacts - Riders can now easily designate five friends or family members as “trusted contacts” and, with a single tap, share their trip information which are easily customisable in their trip sharing preferences.

Safety Centre - A new app-housed safety information hub where users can find information on some of the key existing safety tools in the app, including our 24/7 team, information on the driver and the car, trip GPS-tracking and our rating and feedback system.

Speed alerts - A feature which reminds driver and delivery partners to maintain a safe speed within the posted speed limits.

Caller anonymisation - Riders and drivers will be able to call each other while maintaining the privacy of their number while using Uber

“With more than 15 million trips on the Uber app every day, there is nothing more important than the safety of riders, drivers and couriers. Over the last year we’ve been working to develop innovative products that increase transparency, accountability and piece of mind for all users. The rollout of our new Safety Toolkit features across Europe, Middle East and Africa is the next step in making sure that we’re helping everyone stay safe and connected, wherever you might be,” says Sachin Kansal, Uber’s Global Head of Safety Product.

Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has made safety a top priority for 2018. Since joining the company, he has introduced a number of changes including a feature that limits drivers’ time spent ‘on trip’ before needing to take a full 6 hour break from the app, in addition to personal accident insurance for drivers and delivery partners across the Middle East. — SG