Uber has been under a microscope recently after sexual assault allegations against drivers were on the rise. In response, Uber announced the launch of a new reporting feature that lets riders report safety issues in real-time as well as a new instant translation tool, to help smooth communication between passengers and drivers.
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The feature, announced by the company, allows all users to translate a message in the app into their preferred language before sending, when previously, messages sent from drivers to riders would always appear in the driver’s preferred language. Uber stated the update is compatible with more than 100 languages in hopes of alleviated driver and passenger frustrations when it comes to communication.
“We anticipate this being most helpful for drivers whose primary language isn’t English, and for riders that are traveling abroad outside the U.S.,” the company said in the statement.
The in-app translation is now available to all riders globally as of Thursday, February 27 and riders worldwide can expect to see the redesigned experience in the next few days.
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The company also unveiled a feature to let passengers get more information on the status of their booking, including notifications about the time their ride is due to arrive and more precise location details. In-app text is now more readable, prominently showing riders their driver’s first name, license plate detail, car color/make/model, according to the company statement.
Fast Company states that, “the design team went through ‘thousands of iterative designs,’ to land on the new trip tracker, which emphasizes iconography over text to simplify the interface’s waiting experience. The tracker previously used a series of text notifications, which led to a kind of sensory overload.”
Hopefully, these updates will provide greater comfort and safety to all Uber riders and drivers across the globe.