Uber launches two new safety features in Sri Lanka

Keeping safety at the heart of the rider and driver experience, Uber, the world’s largest mobility platform, announced two new safety features – Two-way Phone Anonymisation and Driving Hour Limits – as part of its ‘Safety Never Stops’ campaign in Colombo.

Two-way Phone Anonymisation, a new technology, will improve the way riders and driver partners connect and communicate with each other. With this feature, when a rider and driver contact each other over a trip, both phone numbers will be anonymised, ensuring neither can see the other’s personal contact details. This new feature will ensure personal contact details of rider and driver partners are protected during all trips so that there is never any unwanted post-trip contact.

To further strengthen its approach to help keep riders and drivers safe on the road while preserving the flexibility drivers value, Uber has introduced another feature that limits the amount of time drivers can spend on the Uber app to help reduce the risk of fatigued drivers. This new feature in the Uber app prompts drivers to go offline for six straight hours after they have driven 12 hours.

Driver partners also get periodic notifications when approaching the 12-hour driving time limit and then the app automatically goes offline for six hours straight when the maximum limit has been reached.

Commenting on the launch, Central Operations Head Pavan Vaish said, “Riders and driver partners form the core of Uber’s business. These features further strengthen Uber’s resolve to continuously take steady steps in ensuring rider and driver safety. I am very excited to announce Phone Anonymisation and Driving Hour Limits as they are technological innovations, designed to strengthen the safety of the communities we serve. ”