Uber to integrate SOS button in app with police control room

On Wednesday, Uber announced the launch of an SOS integration feature, enabling riders and drivers to share live location and trip details directly with the police during emergencies

Mumbai: While taking a ride on Uber, you might have noticed an SOS button in the app and a red-coloured panic button installed inside the cab. However, pressing either of these buttons doesn’t alert the police.

Uber to integrate SOS button in app with police control room

That’s set to change, and hopefully soon.

On Wednesday, Uber announced the launch of an SOS integration feature, enabling riders and drivers to share live location and trip details directly with the police during emergencies. The feature is designed to provide immediate support when every second counts. It’s already live in Telangana and is on pilot in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, with testing complete. It will roll out when the police greenlight the collaboration, said Sooraj Nair, Head - Safety Operations, Uber India and South Asia.

The SOS button in the Uber app is supposed to arrange a call to the police helpline and send details of the vehicle, driver and the trip to the police control room. When asked if the police are ready to integrate the button with its control room, the ride-hailing company said it is still working on the final details. When contacted, the Mumbai police did not comment on the matter.

Coincidentally, the panic button installed in Uber cabs is also allegedly not integrated with the police control room yet, even though the aggregator cab owners have been compulsorily asked to fit it. “We are forced to install two panic buttons inside each four-wheeler cab at a cost of around ₹10,000. In case of any problem, if someone presses this red panic button, it reflects on our dashboard rather than alerting the cab operator or government authorities,” said an aggregator cab fleet owner. Cab owners also said the aggregator operators are opaque when it comes to elaborating on the status of their own helpline numbers and call centres.

Uber, meanwhile, said it has call centres managing a 24/7 helpline for non-emergency issues, which allows passengers to register a complaint during the trip or 30 minutes after it ends.

Among the other new safety features launched by the company include audio recording for riders and women rider preference for female drivers. “Riders can now record audio anytime during the ride if they feel uncomfortable or concerned about their safety during trips. We do not access the audio unless the rider chooses to submit it as part of a safety report,” said Nair.