Business 2 CommunityUber’s Driver Background Check To Improve With Biometric Scans, Making Rides Safer
All Uber driver background checks will be improved very soon with the use of biometric scans and voice technology. The new method should make the service a lot safer.
These have been several incidents where Uber riders were supposedly assaulted by their drivers. In Washington D.C., a driver was accused of molesting a drunk passenger. Another was accused of kidnapping a group.
In July, ValleyWag researched the process to become a driver and said the taxi-like company had “lax standards” when it came to their driver background checks.
The company wrote on their blog today that they are “initiating research & development on biometrics and voice verification to build custom tools for enhanced driver screening.”
Uber is also investing in methods that will provide riders the immediate ability to speak to the company and loved ones if an emergency arises.
Just this month, Las Angeles and San Francisco, where the company was launched, sued Uber for misleading riders about their background check. The company does not use a fingerprint check to keep drivers from passing off as somebody else
The car-pooling service expanded to Delhi, India, and once a driver was charged for raping a passenger, the company withdrew their operation in the city.
Uber has been in the news a lot recently, and their service keeps growing thanks to being cheaper than a traditional cab fare. According to Forbes, the company gives nearly one million rides each day and 140 million over the past year.
The company continues to expand to other markets, and they even announced a new ride share service that will allow riders with similar destinations to share a car. It’s called UberPool and should make fares even cheaper. With more people in the same vehicle, it could make trips a lot safer.
The company said:
“We are reminded by the recent traffic event in India that best-in-class safety must be a constant quest. We owe it to all our riders, drivers, partners and communities around the world to examine what we can do better and then do everything we can to make more progress on safety.
It’s unclear when the new Uber driver background check policy will go into effect, but they may want to work quick before more incidents occur, raising even more questions about the service’s safety.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: Uber’s Driver Background Check To Improve With Biometric Scans, Making Rides Safer
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