As the festive season approaches, most people are planning and preparing to make memories with loved ones during parties, gatherings and special occasions. Reckless and drunk driving often sees a huge rise during this time of year, and according to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), in Kenya, the latest road accident survey results reveal that over 5909 people have been seriously injured on the roads this year.
Here are some tips that Kenyans can take note while moving from point A to B during the festive season:
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Check Check Check!
First things first, always check! When you request your ride, keep an eye out for road hazards and no-stopping zones. Try to find somewhere safe for your driver to stop close by and use the messaging feature in the app to let them know where you are. There is also nothing more important than making sure that you are getting into the right vehicle.
That’s why Uber offers a check your ride feature, which allows riders to have a clear view of the driver’s license plate, photo and car make/model in order to verify that they are getting into the right vehicle. As a double precaution, Real-Time ID Check prompts drivers to take photos of themselves to make sure that the right driver is behind the wheel.
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Peak time Madness
When it comes to any festive season, the demand for a service like Uber naturally rises which means you might find your trip‘s price has increased or dropped compared to your typical cost estimate.
This is no bug, it’s actually part of Uber’s dynamic pricing strategy, where a number of factors are used to calculate the price for a ride. Dynamic pricing encourages more drivers to get out on the road to serve you on the busiest nights of the year and users will be made aware upfront before they accept the trip and once the demand and supply are balanced. If you weigh up the convenience of getting an Uber, there really is no better investment.
And don’t forget you can even split the fare anytime before your trip ends, making group outings a lot easier on your wallet. You can also check out our Multiple Destinations feature, which allows you to enter at most three stops (including your final destination). There’s nothing better than getting home with your friends and making sure everyone’s safe!
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Safety features at your fingertips
With a quick tap, you can use the Safety Toolkit function to access the Trusted Contacts & Share Trip function to share where you are and where you’re headed with anyone in your device’s contact list so they can follow your ride in real time. If they’re waiting for you at home, they might even be waiting with Uber Eats for you when you arrive!
And in the unlikely event you encounter an emergency during your ride, RideCheck is one of our newly launched safety features for riders and drivers, which can detect anomalies, like an unexpected long stop, and proactively surfaces tools riders and drivers may need to get help.
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Road safety for all
According to NTSA’s road accident survey pedestrians made up over 1,201 of road accident fatalities in this year alone. That’s why Uber wants to champion road safety throughout Nairobi, whether people are using the Uber app or not, and has entered into a partnership with Safetyplus Consulting Limited and the NTSA.
This partnership has introduced trained professional marshals into high-accident prone zones such as Waiyaki Way, Mombasa Road and Jogoo Road to help direct the traffic flow and manage speed and congestion to help keep a safer experience when travelling through the city every day.
“We have a responsibility to our community to ensure a holistic approach to safety is taken on our city streets,” says Brian Njao, Uber Country Manager, Kenya.
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Have your say!
After each trip, you’re asked in the app to rate your trip. Your feedback helps keep Uber safe and enjoyable for everyone. If you ever experience a safety issue on a trip, please report it to Uber. Our 24/7 response team will follow up.
For any safety-related matters, Uber’s Incident Response Team is always on call to respond immediately to any reported incidents or accidents. In the event that the Police get involved, our Law Enforcement Relations Team are always there to respond to urgent needs and walk the police through how Uber can assist in an investigation.
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Lorraine Onduru Communications | East Africa |
