Uber Unveils 24x7 Safety Helpline in India, for 'Urgent, Non-Emergency Issues'

In a bid to improve rider experience in India, Uber on Tuesday announced a 24x7 safety helpline that will provide users with the option to get in touch with Uber's safety team if they have an urgent, non-emergency issue such as a co-passenger's misbehaviour, dispute with a driver or break-down while on a trip.

This feature is in addition to the in-app SOS button already available in the safety toolkit which allows riders to connect to law enforcement authorities in case of an emergency.

The 24x7 safety helpline support is not a replacement for 100 but a helpful way for riders and drivers to get urgent support, the company said in a statement.

"All our riders will now be able to access this helpline, any time of the day or night, should they need urgent assistance during their trip," said Pavan Vaish, Head of Central Operations (Rides), Uber India and South Asia.

At the tap of a button, riders can immediately connect with Uber's response team in English and Hindi where trained representatives of the "Safety Incident Response Team" will be available 24x7.

When a rider calls this helpline, Uber said it will aim to resolve all issues seamlessly and quickly.

The safety helpline number is available under the safety toolkit banner hosted within the Uber app.

To reach the safety tool kit, riders tap the shield icon to report a non-emergency safety incident, during a trip

"Rider can tap the safety helpline icon, hosted within the safety tool kit and swipe to speak to an Uber representative," said the company.

Uber has recently launched several measures, like call anonymisation to protect the privacy of riders; comprehensive background checks of drivers and updated community guidelines which outline the behaviour expected of riders and drivers on the app to foster mutual respect.