Cape Town - Uber has announced an audio recording pilot initiative in South Africa which will now allow riders and drivers to use the app to record and share audio of their trip as evidence in the case of a safety incident.
The e-hailing company said the initiative, being piloted in Pretoria and Johannesburg, was one that drivers have been asking for based on feedback from round-table sessions.
Uber on Monday announced the launch of multiple new products and features which are going live this month in South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria.
The launch, which took place simultaneously across various locations in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), also showcased Audio Recording, the latest addition to its safety features.
General Manager for Uber SSA, Kagiso Khaole said the brand is pleased to be expanding into eight more cities during September across Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana.
“As we gear ourselves to mark our 10th year anniversary next year, we are excited about moving into more cities enabling people to go anywhere and can get anything. Our commitment to raising the bar on safety remains relentless and we continue to work hard to grow the over 3 million earnings opportunities we have created thus far.” he said.
“Safety is at the core of how we do business and we are proud to announce three new safety features to help improve the experience of users”, Khaole added.
The Audio Recording pilot in South Africa will now allow riders and drivers to use the app to record and share audio of their trip as evidence in the case of a safety incident.
This new opt-in audio recording feature being piloted in Pretoria and Johannesburg, has been successful in the US and Latin American regions where Uber has a presence.
Uber said it is also working with Sety in Nigeria, to provide on-demand security and medical response for riders and drivers while on a trip. This collaboration will also provide access to a private security response unit closest to their location, using a connected device.
A new Safety Check Up across SSA feature encourages riders to complete their safety profile by turning on and utilising the available features such as Trusted Contacts, PIN verification and RideCheck. This is available in all the countries within SSA where Uber operates.
Cape Times