Uber launches emergency app to bump up driver safety

Uber South Africa and security company Aura have launched an emergency app improve to drivers’ safety.

“Now with the latest improvement‚ drivers and delivery-partners will no longer need to call a security number. Through Aura’s smart technology‚ combined with GPS‚ driver-partners will be able to push a mobile emergency button which will enable Aura to dispatch a geo-specific security or medical response partner within minutes‚” said Aura chief executive Warren Myers.

The app‚ according to the company‚ will be available to Uber drivers and Eats delivery-partners across the country.

“The emergency app‚ operated through the Aura mobile app‚ connects driver and delivery-partners to the closest private response vehicles from a nationwide network of security or medical response partners.”

When in an unsafe situation‚ the driver pushes the mobile emergency button on the Aura app.

“The closest security or medical response partner is activated automatically and the closest private security vehicle accepts the request via their Aura security app‚” Myers explained.

Built-in GPS navigation leads the private security vehicle to the scene using the fastest route possible‚ which helps to dramatically reduce response time.

“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‚” Myers said.

Ailyssa Pretorius‚ General Manager for Uber Eats South Africa‚ said: “We are proud to be announcing this partnership that will be available for delivery-partners across South Africa. This is a first for the delivery industry. We strongly believe working with Aura to provide this safety app is a great first step to fulfilling our commitment to the safety of all delivery-partners across South Africa.”

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 Johannesburg‚ Pretoria‚ Durban‚ Cape Town and Port Elizabeth 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.