Uber taxi service launching app-based 'panic button' in India after rape allegation

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Uber taxi service launching app-based 'panic button' in India after rape allegation

PUBLISHED : Sunday, 08 February, 2015, 7:41am
UPDATED : Sunday, 08 February, 2015, 7:41am

Associated Press in New York

Uber taxi service launching app-based 'panic button' in India after rape allegation

Uber says it is introducing two new safety features for riders in India in response to concerns about safety that followed a passenger reporting she had been raped by a driver.

The US taxi-alternative company said it would launch a "panic button" in its ride-hailing app that allows riders to notify the police in case of an emergency, and a "safety net" feature that will allow users to share trip details and their location with as many as five other people.

Uber said it was also creating a local team that would respond to reports by riders and would get a notification when the panic button was pressed.

The company said the new features would be available on Wednesday. Uber did not say if the new features would be available in other countries, but said it would have more updates in the coming months.

Uber, valued at US$40 billion, lets passengers summon cars through an app in more than 250 cities around the world. It faces multiple legal and regulatory challenges as it expands in the United States and abroad.

An Uber passenger said she was raped by a driver in New Delhi in December, and she sued the company last month.

The lawsuit alleges Uber is not doing enough to keep passengers safe, and it may also face charges if Indian prosecutors believe it misrepresented the safety of its services.

The company says it plans to improve its safety programmes this year and is looking for new ways to screen drivers.

In India, Uber has been banned in New Delhi, the southern technology hub of Hyderabad, and the entire southern state of Karnataka.

The Times of India said that regulators in Mumbai also supported a ban and that they wanted Uber to set up emergency support services, put panic buttons in cabs, and display phone numbers for the police and regional transport office.

On its blog, Uber said the idea of a physical panic button was not feasible because it did not own the cabs. It said it would support such buttons if the owner of the vehicle were responsible for installing them and if the button called the police directly.