E-hailing taxi service Uber, in partnership with security company Aura, has introduced an emergency app for its drivers and delivery-partners (drivers who deliver food through its Uber Eats app) in South Africa.
At the touch of a button, drivers will be connected to the closest private response vehicles from a nationwide network of security or medical response partners.
The announcement follows a commitment made by Uber last year to focus on making the lives of its drivers easier and safer. This amid controversy that the company was not doing enough to combat violence from meter-cab taxi drivers.
The emergency app, operated through the Aura mobile app, uses GPS navigation to lead the response vehicles directly to the scene. The identity of the person making the call automatically appears on the system, so all security or medical response partners have key information on hand.
Uber first partnered with Aura in 2016 to run a three-month pilot of SOS buttons in Johannesburg, where 500 driver-partner vehicles were fitted with buttons, that when triggered alerted Aura's central control room.
In 2017, Uber and Aura began providing all drivers in SA with a telephone number to use, which was linked to Aura's central control room that allowed a geo-specific security or medical response partner to be dispatched within minutes.
This partnership led to creation of the button in-app which means drivers will no longer need to call a security number.
"The new introduction of our technology builds on Uber's philosophy, and has helped evolve security by offering smart technology that cuts out the middleman, enabling driver-partners to connect with the closest security or medical response partner at the touch of a button," says Warren Myers, CEO of Aura.
"We are proud champions of the 'Uberisation' of on-demand security app for businesses. The ability to offer our rapid mobile response technology to drivers and delivery partners across the Uber platform itself is an exciting venture. We look forward to continuing our partnership in bringing fast, effective security technology to Uber's driver partners in SA."
The emergency button will be rolled out over the next few weeks in phases.
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