It’s no secret that Uber has made getting to places without our own cars so much easier ever since it arrived on the scene in 2009. But one of the constant criticisms of the company is that it is not doing enough to make sure that passengers are protected from drivers that can sometimes take advantage of them in more ways than one. Apparently, one of the measures they’re taking is to pilot test an emergency number within the app. But they decided not to tell both passengers and drivers, and so they are facing even more criticism for its lack of transparency.
Uber has just recently confirmed that they have indeed been testing out a sort of 911 emergency response number since October of last year and in 22 cities all over the country. A company representative said that they decided not to inform the public of this hotline or critical response line, whatever it will be officially called if launched, because part of the test is to see if the number is discoverable within the app or if people can find the number on their own. They also have an a/b testing as to where the most effective placement in the app is.
While it is good news that there will eventually be a number to call in case you feel like you’re in danger from your driver, there are some who say that this “lack of transparency” from the company is just one of the signs that there is something wrong. One former driver said that the company deliberately makes it difficult for people to have access to them.
If the feature ever goes live, Uber doesn’t intend for this to replace 911 and in fact intends it for situations when customer service may be too slow, but 911 too extreme, like if someone leaves their insulin in the car and might be in danger of going into a diabetic coma. But the rise of number of reports and unreported assaults involving Uber drivers should be a signal to the company that something more has to be done than just have a “secret hotline”.
VIA: Inc.
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