Amid confusion over the legality of Uber services in the city, the company announced a number of steps to improve the safety of its Hyderabad-based customers in the coming days. This is in light of the country-wide furore over the Delhi rape incident involving an Uber driver.
In an email addressed and sent to all its existing city customers, Uber listed five steps which will be introduced in the coming days. The foremost among them is that every Uber driver from January 1, 2015, will sport the ‘I am Safe’ sticker issued by Cyberabad police. The company said that those drivers who do not have the sticker will not be a part of the Uber service.
Police verification process “Also, instituting a refreshed and authentic police verification process for all Uber driver-partners in the city,” said Uber.
While the San Fransico-based company hinted at closely working with the Hyderabad and Cyberabad police, the Telangana transport officials continue to maintain that the service is still banned in the city. Unlike Delhi, Uber continued with its services in Hyderabad even after being banned.
The company also informed that they will have a local as well as a global team of experts who will look into the document verification and background checks of its partner drivers. Pilot project in select cities are already under way in this regard, according to the mail from the company.
Local support centre Uber also revealed its plan to start a local customer support centre that will specialise in resolving the issues of their driver and rider community in India.
A new feature will also be added to the Uber app in India. “An enhanced ShareMyETA button is the first of a whole set of new integrated Uber safety features coming to India. The new ShareMyETA function allows you to send your complete trip details (including live GPS tracking, driver photo, name and vehicle licence no.) to your loved ones,” read one of the contents from the mail sent out by the Hyderabad team of Uber.
