Source: Joseph-Albert Kuuire/ Tech Nova
Uber Ghana is launching two new features in Ghana: Women Rider Preferred View and a partnership with Aura to provide In-App emergency support for riders and drivers using the Uber platform.
With “Women Preferred View” feature, women drivers who use the Uber app can set a preference for picking up only women riders. Drivers can turn the feature on or off whenever they choose.
Riders, on the other hand, will be notified about the feature and will be asked to specify their gender on the app.
Female drivers can cancel the trip if the matched riders aren’t female without affecting their cancellation record.
In-App Emergency Button Feature
Uber is also rolling out its In-App Emergency Button, powered by Aura’s cutting-edge security technology.
The feature aims to provide on-demand security and medical response for riders and drivers while on a trip.
Uber first collaborated with AURA in South Africa in 2016 to enhance the safety of its users on the platform which has proven to be immensely successful.
The collaboration provides drivers and riders on the Uber platform access to a vetted private security response and medical emergency response unit, which is closest to their location, using a connected device.
The AURA platform uses machine learning and AI to draw on private security companies’ widespread power and hone its system to ensure that the closest responders are dispatched to a distress call.
Marjorie Saint-Lot, Country Manager for Uber in Ivory Coast and Côte d’Ivoire explains, “Uber prides itself on being an inclusive platform that allows people to push a button and find a decent and affordable way to generate income, regardless of gender, social or economic class, or age.
Drivers are integral to our business and place real value on flexibility – gender shouldn’t be a barrier to feeling safe while earning a living or moving. Introducing this latest feature aims to encourage more women to drive on the platform while providing additional peace of mind.”
The Women Rider Preferred feature has expanded to 23 countries on five continents including South Africa.
Globally, in the past quarter, four out of 10 women drivers on the Uber platform have used Women Rider Preference at least once, and we’ve seen over 44 million trips using this feature to date.
Source: Joseph-Albert Kuuire/ Tech Nova
