Uber India promises in-app panic button, location sharing by 11 Feb

A day after the Maharashtra transport department recommended that the state government impose a ban on taxi aggregator  Uber for not having met the department’s January 15 deadline for implementing safety measures in its cabs, the US-based company has clarified that the app panic button and journey/location sharing — will roll out to users in India on February 11. But they’ve said the demand of having an in-cab panic button doesn’t make any sense. “On February 11 next week, we are launching two significant, additional built-in safety features: i) In-app panic (SOS) button that allows a rider to alert the local Police at the push of a button in case of an emergency. ii) Safety Net feature, which will allow users to easily share their trip details and real-time location with up to 5 friends and family members,” Uber said in a blog post. [caption id=“attachment_2083197” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Reuters[/caption] Uber further clarified that it plans to settle “some misconceptions” around its safety policy — which already includes more stringent background checks and a dedicated emergency response team. Earlier this week, Uber launched a third party driver screening programme with First Advantage that conducts background checks and brings in additional layers of screening over and above the standard transport licensing process such as address verification, a local criminal court search, and a national criminal database search. On Thursday, Times of India reported that Maharashtra should impose a ban on Uber until it meets the guidelines, which are applicable to all taxi operators. The report further said that Uber had irked authorities in Mumbai with its reluctance to install physical panic buttons in its drivers’ cars, even though the new regulations have made it mandatory in the city. Uber, in a blog post today, argued that physical panic buttoms will cause confusion since drivers use multiple taxi apps as well as wear and tear on the button. “In a situation of distress the rider would have to pick the correct operator’s panic button to be able to get help on time. That’s 25% chance of success; and a decision that has to be made and executed in a split-second, if at all.In addition to causing confusion, we found that not only are physical buttons prone to wear and tear, but also mechanical malfunctions. There is no way to ensure that they are kept in working condition across all the cars in the city,” Uber said in a statement. It has instead proposed an in-app panic button that one can activate with a single tap. It has also proposed a single panic button — installed by the driver and connected directly to the local police — and is willing to fund the same. Uber has been in the eye of a storm after a horrific rape incident in Delhi on 5 December. The Delhi transport authorities banned the app in Delhi as it found the company violated the Motor Vehicles Act. It was also accused of not doing enough background checks of the drivers who ply for it. However, media reports said despite the ban, the service was available in Delhi. The transport authorities there have not yet given a licence to the company to operate as a radio cab service provider as they found gaps in their application.