Ride hailing major Uber has updated its community guidelines, reminding riders of the behavior expected of anyone using the platform. It has also launched a ‘Driver Safety Toolkit’, a comprehensive set of in-app safety features for driver partners in India. The idea, Uber says, is to create an environment of mutual respect between riders and drivers.
The driver safety toolkit allows drivers also to share their trip details with family and close ones, letting their family and friends follow them along as they drive. There will also be an emergency assistance button, which offers driver partners an option to connect with law enforcement during an unwanted emergency situation. The toolkit also comes with a speed limit feature where driver partners will be alerted when they exceed the speed so that they can drive at safe speeds.
For riders
The updated community guidelines will see riders who, after several notifications, fall below a minimum average rating lose access to the Uber app. Uber first launched a set of guidelines in March 2017 where it outlined certain actions that could ban riders from accessing Uber. These included no sexual conduct, eating drinking, spilling food or vomiting due to alcohol consumption in the cab.
Guidelines also stated that asking overly personal questions, using verbal threats, and making comments or gestures that are aggressive, sexual, discriminatory, or disrespectful will not be allowed. Illegal activities too, were banned.
Updated guidelines
As per the updated guidelines, damaging drivers' or other passengers' property, unwanted contact with the driver or fellow passenger after the trip is over can also get you banned from the app. Uber also has a zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination of any kind. This means riders will lose access to their accounts if found to have discriminated against drivers or other riders based on their race, caste, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, gender identity, age or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.
Riders, who have low or bad ratings will be notified several times and eventually will lose access to the Uber app.
Driver guidelines
Uber drivers too, have to adhere to certain guidelines to ensure they aren’t banned from driving for Uber. Driver quality is measured on Uber mainly through star ratings, cancellation rate and acceptance rate. Apart from that, actions that threaten the safety of drivers and riders will be investigated and, if confirmed, lead to permanent deactivation of driver’s account. This includes, physical contact with riders, use of inappropriate and abusive language or gestures, unwanted contact with riders after a trip is over, breaking the local law while using Uber, use of drugs or alcohol by partners while driving.
Refusing to provide services based on where someone is going, or characteristics like a person's race, caste, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, gender identity, age or any other characteristic protected under relevant central, state or local law. Actions like these will result in permanent deactivation of their account.
Detailed community guidelines laid out by Uber that drivers and riders are expected to adhere to can be found here.