Uber Emergency 'SOS' Button In India Now Alerts Police Of Your Current Location
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - San Francisco-based Uber has rolled out a new safety feature in India that provides police with an exact GPS location in case of emergency, Uber confirmed on the company blog.
The "send status" service, which is currently being tested in Kolkata, initiates a phone call with police, but also provides officers with the continuous location information and the identity of the driver and the passenger.
"We have received tremendous support for this solution, including from the former Commissioner of Police, Delhi and law enforcement in many other cities in India, many of whom we are in advanced discussions with to implement this in coming weeks," said Molly Spaeth of Uber's communications team.
The safety upgrades come after a driver was accused of rape a high-profile case in Dehli last December. The victim in that case has since sued Uber in San Francisco court. Following that case, the company rolled out a set of rider protections in Dehli last December.
"After an intensive and successful period of beta-testing in Kolkata, we are in advanced discussions with authorities in multiple cities across India to deploy this solution in the coming weeks," reads the company post about the new features.
It's not yet clear if or when the SOS interface with police will become available in U.S. markets.
"We test and experiment new technology solutions all over the world just as we do in the US and each has a unique schedule," said Spaeth.