How Uber is Keeping You Safe Over the Holidays

by @Uber_Kenya

As the party season kicks off in Kenya, we are faced with the perennial challenge: how are we going to get home once the celebrations are over? Despite numerous efforts by the government and private sector to reduce the number of people drinking and driving e.g. Alcoblow and ‘Don’t drink and drive’ campaigns, many people still drive under the influence.

Uber have covered the basics of getting around over the festive season, so you can always make the safe choice and are committed to ensuring that those who use the app always get where they are going safe and sound. As the safest, most reliable and convenient taxi-hailing app in the market, you can’t go wrong when you count on them to get you THERE.

Here are some tips from them on how you can keep safe over the holidays.

Plan ahead

Think your after-work drinks may get out of hand? Plan in advance and take an Uber to work. You can even schedule your ride in advance so you don’t have to worry about breaking the festivities until your driver comes. Or, if the party takes you by surprise, rather Uber home, leave your car at the office and pick it up over the weekend. While this may seem like extra work at first, it is a lot less costly than compromising your safety and the safety of others by drinking and driving.

Know that you’ll get a driver, even in peak times

Over festive periods, there is often a fear that there won’t be enough drivers to go around. As an ever-growing and evolving platform, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Uber runs a successful model called surge pricing, which allows users to get a ride when they need it most – especially during the busiest nights of year, like New Year’s Eve, Christmas or Jamhuri Day.

During times of peak demand, it is important that there are enough driver-partners on the platform to accommodate those looking for rides. For this reason, Uber increases fares to encourage more drivers to come onto the platform.

You will know when surge pricing is in place, because you will be notified from the moment you open the app, and reminded as you request your trip. You can also obtain an accurate fare estimate so you know what to expect.

Uber’s Safety features

We are committed to safety and want everyone to feel confident that Uber is a reliable choice this festive season. Our technology makes it possible to make safety improvements that were never before possible prior to Uber.

First, before you get into the car, verify your driver-partner and vehicle using the information in the app. This way, you know exactly who is taking you home! Secondly, you can share your ETA (Estimated time of arrival) with a friend or family member in order to provide accountability in the event you do not arrive at the stipulated time. Riders can also make use of Uber’s GPS features that allow them to track their trip by viewing the route on the map in the app. This way, you are able to know if you are heading in the right direction, especially if not familiar with the route.

Uber also offers in-app support, which is simple and easy to use. Whether you want to ask about something you lost on a night out or submit a question about a receipt that looks wrong, you simply need to tap ‘Help’ and all the information will be at your fingertips. Finally, riders can give detailed feedback after a trip which will allow Uber to query any negative feedback so as to keep other safe as well.

Have fun, without worrying about your ride

When it comes down to it, the festive season is all about being carefree. It’s about taking care of the little things so you can have a good time. By taking advantage of ride-sharing options at your disposal, you don’t have to worry about parking, tipping the driver (ours keep most of the fare), being ‘over the limit’ or how you’re going to get home. When it is this fun, easy and available, there is no reason not to.

Lest we forget, no time is more ubiquitous for a tourist explosion in Kenya than Christmas time! As an international platform in over 475 cities in over 75 countries spanning 6 continents, tourists need not worry about being overcharged by local taxis. Neither do they need to frantically worry about how they’re going to get around Nairobi and Mombasa.

We can all relax – Uber will get us home safe.