Why safety is paramount for sustainable urban mobility

With the East African region among the fastest growing economic blocs in the continent, coupled with a ballooning population and mushrooming cities, demand for an array of services and complementary business has grown. This includes a need for reliable mobility options to keep these bustling cities on the move.

Indeed, just like mobile money, ride-hailing services have become a necessity for most city dwellers. Just like M-Pesa, Uber is now a common term in ordinary conversation. So ingrained is it in our daily conversations that more often than not, it is used as a verb. For instance, a conversation like “I will Uber” or “I am Ubering” is common among urbanites.

RELIABLE ALTERNATIVES

Talking of conversations among East African urban dwellers, the other key issue that we must engage on is – how safe is our mode of transport? Effectively, this means that not only are appropriate and innovative investments in transportation needed in our cities but also a complete mind-set shift in our approach to safety. This new approach will not solely focus on traffic congestion, fuel emissions and minimising transportation costs, but rather looking at how we can improve how our cities move by encouraging safe and reliable alternatives. Above all, the key goal will be to ensure safety for all road users – drivers, riders and pedestrians -- at all times.

Fundamentally, what cities in East Africa and across the continent require is an urban mobility approach that prioritises road safety. While we know that no means of transportation is 100 per cent safe, accidents and incidents will happen. But through technology, Uber has invested in technology that makes it possible to build safety in its ecosystem: before a rider gets into the car, throughout the journey and after they have reached their destination. The focus here being not just about getting riders and driver-partners from point A to B, but rather how they get there safely.

TRACKING TECHONOLOGY

We know that when people step into an Uber, they are entrusting us with their safety; whether it’s the hundreds of thousands of passengers who rely on Uber to get them around their city safely – night and day, alone or with a friend – or the thousands of drivers in East Africa that use the app as way to make a living. As a result, we’re using the advanced technology that has enabled Uber to build safety into our app from beginning to end.

For instance, the Real-Time ID check feature allows that before accepting a trip, drivers are frequently asked to take a selfie which the technology automatically confirms that the person driving matches the profile of the driver-partner registered in the Uber app. Riders also get immediate access to their driver’s name, number and vehicle registration ensuring that both riders and driver-partners make better decisions about their journey from the onset. Both riders and driver-partners can see each other’s profiles - which gives them a glimpse of the experience and rating each of them have on the Uber app. The app also has GPS tracking technology for every trip and when each trip starts the rider and driver-partner can also share their ETA (estimated time of arrival) with a friend or loved one.

EMERGENCY LINE

The 24/7 global Incident Response Team (IRT) also responds to any incidents or accidents that are reported to Uber during a trip, this team works closely with the Law and Enforcement Team (LERT) and the police to resolve any incidents that may occur during a trip. In addition, Uber also partnered with SGA Security to provide driver-partners across East Africa with a dedicated emergency line that they can use for emergencies while driving with Uber.

Safety is paramount for everyone. That is why at Uber we have partnered with like-minded organizations to promote the safety of riders and drivers. In Nairobi, we have partnered with the Automotive Association of Kenya (AAK) and National Transport Safety Authority (Kenya) to provide safety workshops for driver-partners. The benefits of these workshops include designing and sharing tailor-made safety tips for drivers while allowing a two-way exchange on personal and road safety challenges. In Dar es Salaam, we partnered with the Dar es Salaam City Council to provide Operating Stickers for all drivers using the Uber application, the move has not only helped the council generate revenue but identify Uber driver-partners.

DRIVING PERMITS

In Kampala we are currently working with regulators to ensure that uberBODA drivers using the Uber app have driving permits, we are also conducting safety workshops for all new boda boda driver-partners while providing them with safety helmets and jackets.

The way people move around is evolving, and we are excited to be a part of this – it’s what drives us forward to learn, create and innovate. We want to empower people with more alternatives on how they travel around the smart cities of the future. We remain committed to providing more choice and developing new technologies that go hand in hand with strengthening the safety of our service.

The writer is the General Manager, Uber in East Africa