It’s the start of a New Year, and in addition to resolutions, vision boards and goals, people are also concerned about how to make their daily commute safer and less stressful.
Thankfully, with technology apps like Uber, people can look forward to having less stressful and safer commutes from point A to B. Here are seven ways to have a safer ride on Uber:
1. Make sure it matches
So you’ve requested a ride? Once the car arrives, check your app and make sure the driver, car and registration plates match what’s in your app. If you find any discrepancies or inconsistencies with any of the aforementioned, feel free to politely cancel the trip. You may get charged a cancellation fee – but never fear; once you file a report via your in-app help feature, Uber will look into it and possibly reimburse you if required.
2. Request with your app
It’s important for riders to remember that rides can only be requested through the Uber app, so no matter how much of a hurry you may be in, don’t feel pressured to accept street hail solicitations from anyone claiming to be with Uber – always look in your app to confirm.
3. Wait for your ride in a safe place
Request a ride only when you’re ready to leave where you are. It is important to avoid spending unnecessary time alone outside, while peering at your phone. As much as possible, avoid dark, poorly lit or lonely areas. In a case where your driver arrives, and the inside of the car is dark, you are encouraged to politely ask the driver to switch on the inner light to help confirm identity.
4. Be Polite and Courteous
According to Uber’s Community Guidelines – both drivers and riders are encouraged to be polite and courteous to one another. Mutual respect is key and under no circumstances should riders or drivers disrespect the other. Vehicles used on the Uber app belong to the driver-partners and they take pride in keeping their vehicles in good condition for riders to be comfortable. Therefore, riders should respect the vehicle they are in and should leave the vehicle in the condition in which they found it. Unruly behaviour such as damaging the vehicle is not tolerated. Using bad language is also not allowed. Being aggressive or discriminatory can also get a rider or driver access to the app removed.
5. Share Your Trip With Trust Contacts
Do you know that you can share details of your trip with your loved ones? Uber’s technology has made it possible for all trips to be tracked using GPS. While en route, riders are able to monitor their own trip in the app as well as share their Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) with up to five of their trusted contacts. This will help friends and family keep track of where they are on the trip and they can do this without even downloading the Uber app! How cool is that?
6. Use Your In-app Help Function
Have you had an issue with regards to your trip? Maybe you have an issue with the fare, route, or quality of the ride? The in-app Help function in the Uber app is the fastest way to get your issues resolved. The tool is designed to help riders get a prompt response to their queries in the shortest time possible. The support system can be accessed by navigating to the “Help’’ section on the menu, which helps riders and driver-partners alike to communicate their concerns they might have during a trip and get an instant response. Uber has a 24/7 global support team which reviews issues and follows up with appropriate action regarding reports that go against the Community Guidelines.
7. Rate Your Ride
Giving feedback after every trip is extremely important – whether it’s positive or negative. What did you like about the trip? Would you give the driver 5-stars? Was the music collection great? Was the route excellent for cutting off traffic? Qualitative feedback helps improve the Uber experience for everyone, maintain