Uber Nigeria, a transportation network company, has advised the public to confirm the identity of its drivers and other taxi drivers before engaging their services.
Francesca Uriri, Head of Communications, Uber West Africa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday that confirming the identity of the drivers was necessary to avoid contracting the services of people of questionable character.
She said not all those who claimed to be Uber drivers actually work with the company.
“It has come to the notice of the company that some drivers commit crime, claiming to be Uber drivers.
“There is a database where drivers on Uber app are listed and all drivers who claim to work with Uber can actually be verified from that database.
“Uber values the safety of riders and driver-partners before, during and after every trip; this is why Uber continually improves their safety features worldwide.
“On the driver’s side, driver-partners and their vehicles are pre-screened before being enlisted, thereby empowering riders with the knowledge that they are being transported in quality and vetted vehicles by responsible drivers.
“ All drivers must undergo a screening process before they can use the Uber app as well as register with the required vehicle and personal documentation,’’ she said.
Uriri said Uber was committed to ensuring that riders are safe while on the road hence the need to put in place safety features.
She explained:“These safety features include Incident Response Team (IRT) which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to respond immediately to any reported incident or accident globally.
“Uber also has a team of former law enforcement professionals who are working closely with the local Police to support any investigation.
“Also, GPS tracking of every trip, giving people the ability to be able to share their trip information in real-time with loved ones is available.
“ Share My Trip for Riders and Drivers, a safety feature which allows riders and drivers to share their whereabouts and trip status with friends and family is also a safety feature of Uber’s.”
The Uber transportation Network Company, which was founded in March 2009, has its headquarters in San Francisco, U.S.
