Uber integrates emergency helpline number in app

Uber, the world’s largest on-demand ride sharing company, today announced the integration of emergency helpline numbers in the rider app.

Reinforcing its commitment to enhance safety of its riders, the integration aims to help riders in need for urgent help during a trip. From the police emergency hotline, to the accident service and tourist police, help is just a tap away.

Commenting on this development, Uber Sri Lanka General Manager Arjun Srinivasan said: “Safety of our riders is a priority for us at Uber and our technology opens up immense opportunities to make rides as safe as possible. Uber’s integration of the emergency number is one such step that highlights our absolute commitment to the safety of our riders - before, during and after every ride.”

In the event of an emergency situation during a trip, riders in an Uber can now access an in-app card to connect with relevant national toll-free help desk in Sri Lanka. 

Once pressed, the rider will be prompted with the phone dialer. 

Calling 119 will connect the rider to the police emergency hotline, 110 for ambulance/fire and rescue, 0112 691 111 for accident service and 0112 421 052 for tourist police.

The introduction of this feature adds to the existing in-built repertoire of safety features in 

the Uber app. Technologies like Uber provide an incredible opportunity to improve safety of riders and drivers in new and innovative ways— before, during and after every ride.

Before a ride: to ensure a relatively safe, reliable and convenient travel from point A to point B, the Uber app gives you the ability to see your driver’s details in advance, including his name, photograph, make of car and the car registration number. 

During a ride: while on a trip, riders can avail the benefit of GPS tracking and by using the share my status option, share their trip details with as many contacts on their phonebook as they want. This allows for the people receiving the message to immediately track the route and location of the vehicle at any point in time during the trip. In the event of an emergency situation, riders can now access the Police emergency helpline 119 through the app. After a ride: apart from rating the driver once the trip is complete, riders can go to the Past Trips section in-app and provide feedback on the ride. Our round-the-clock in-app customer support is designed to further improve product and operations, with a core focus to provide specialised support for critical incidents that require immediate attention.