Cases of kidnappings, mugging and sexual harassment have been high among taxi hailing apps, with a majority of individuals coming out to tell shocking ordeals. To ensure their customers are safe, the companies behind online booking applications have come up with safety measures. Uber Kenya takes the lead in rolling out its in-app audio recording feature to users in Kenya.
First introduced in Europe in 2021, the feature allows both the driver and the rider to record audio during their trips and share it with Uber’s support team in case of any incidents.
According to head of Uber in East Africa Imran Manji, the feature will improve the conduct of drivers and riders alike on the taxi hailing app and provide better evidence for investigating safety incidents.
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“We believe that this feature will further improve the conduct of users of the Uber app, as drivers and riders hold each other accountable every step of the way. We have rolled this feature out in other markets where it has proven very successful, and we are hoping to see similar uptake across the country,” said Manji.
To use the safety feature, a customer taps the shield icon located on the map and selects record audio. Once this is done, on the driver’s side, riders will see in their app that audio may be recorded on their trip. Riders and drivers can choose to record individual trips, while drivers will also have the option to leave the feature on while they’re online.
Uber will not be able to listen in as the audio file is encrypted and stored on the respective parties’ devices, an indication that there’s no infringement of the privacy of both the driver and rider. In addition, once stored in one’s device, won’t be able to listen in on the audios.
With the many cases that have come up in ride hailing apps, the lack of evidence has seen many perpetrators walk scot-free. However, with this feature in place, many users will feel a bit safer when they hit a snag, and evidence is needed.
“Verbal altercations and other violations can be difficult to investigate without evidence, however with Audio Recording in place, we are confident that Uber will be better able to adjudicate such incidents to ensure that the appropriate action is taken,” says Manji.
In the case of an incident and one needs the ‘support team’ to investigate a safety incident, one can easily share a recording of a particular trip for review. Only then can an audio recordings be reviewed by Uber. Besides Kenya, the company’s new feature is currently available in Ghana and South Africa.
