Uber strengthens ride safety measures in Bangladesh

On its fifth anniversary in Bangladesh, Uber has introduced an improved and extended safety assistance system for passengers.

In a roundtable discussion at a city hotel on Wednesday, Uber's regional officials said its safety helpline is now accessible from the Uber app for an extended period of 30 minutes after the trip ends.

Passenger customers just need to tap on the blue shield icon incorporated in their app or they can directly call the Uber safety experts' local number (+880-9612-8881111) from their phones to avail the service.

Uber claims an average response time of 30 seconds for answering the calls from their riding passenger customers in case they face any issues during the trip. The call can be made within 30 minutes of the ride ending..

Uber officials explained that Ridecheck, its tech-enabled system, proactively surfaces tools to assist passengers in case of any unusual activities, such as route diversions or unusual stops in the middle of the road during a trip.

It has also launched a Moto Safety Checklist on their app, which enables both Uber drivers and ride passengers to check and report whether all mandatory safety measures are executed or not.

Uber, the worlds' largest ride hailing service company, has attracted over 47 lakh registered passengers and over two lakh drivers in the five years it has been operating in Bangladesh. The numbers include both its car and motorcycle ride sharing data.

Bangladesh has been a significant market for Uber's motorcycle ride sharing services until the pandemic compelled the government to stop the service to ensure that fewer people come in close contact with one another.

Consequently, a large number of drivers and passengers went off-app to avail and provide rides independently. But since the government banned off-app ride hailing a few weeks ago, Uber's motorcycle services have now begun to recover.

Like many other drivers in cities around the world, local drivers complain that Uber charges an excessively high commission (25%) on their income.

Responding to a media question regarding too many complaints on Uber's dynamic pricing — charging more during busy hours — company officials said they placed the system to maintain a balance between demand and supply and the entire additional charge goes to drivers.  

Uber is the market leader in car ride sharing in Bangladesh.

On the occasion of its fifth anniversary in Bangladesh, Uber, in collaboration with its stakeholders, is campaigning against unnecessary honking on roads that makes for worse sound pollution.

It has also awarded three car drivers and two motorcycle drivers for their quality services to passengers.