Uber is introducing new features for users in India as it responds to concerns about safety after a passenger reported she was raped by a driver last year.
In a blog post the San-Francisco based company said it will introduce a ‘panic’ button that allows a rider to alert local police if they feel in danger.
The taxi-booking app will also include a ‘safety net’ feature that allows users to share their trip details and real-time location with up to five friends and family members.
In December last year a woman in Delhi said she used the smartphone application to take a taxi home but claims she was taken to a secluded area and raped. The lawsuit alleges Uber is not doing enough to keep passengers safe.
The company says the new features will be available this week but did not say if it will be available in other countries and will have further updates later this year.
Uber said it has shared all existing driver and vehicle data with the transport department and traffic police in India to aid the police verification process. Every new driver interested in partnering with Uber is directed to the crime branch for police verification.
The company said its aim is to make Uber the “safest place in the city” and has appealed to authorities to “engage with innovative companies” to implement new technologies that help tackle issues of safety, congestion and job creation.
Uber added it would support the introduction of a physical panic button, however said it is the duty of the driver to install the feature.
Uber was named in BBT’s 2015 hotlist.