The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Great news for Uber users in Cairo. The international ride-hailing app has just launched new safety features to improve their services worldwide. Privacy has been the focus of tech discussions over the past few months, with huge question marks surrounding apps and platforms we rely on in our daily lives. It has become the main safety issue that companies must guard to maintain their reputation and huge following.

A major concern for Uber users was the loss of privacy with regards to their phone number. Once you request a ride, the Uber driver will gain access to your first name as well as your number. Perhaps this is more prominent with the ladies of Egypt, but sometimes the driver would abuse that access and call or text the Uber user via WhatsApp. The new feature will not allow the Uber driver to identify your phone number, but rather only contact you through the app itself, without direct knowledge of your number.

Other features include your ability to share trip information with five contacts to ensure your security. You no longer need to do so manually for every ride. Instead, you can add a specific list of people from your contact list that will automatically receive trip information for every ride you request. You can even limit that sharing to rides at certain times of the day, at night for example.

As for safety concerns in relation to the driver, Uber will now limit the working hours of Uber drivers to 12 hours a day, ensuring that exhaustion from overwork doesn’t affect their driving performance. After the 12 hours are up, the app will be shut off for 6 hours, ensuring that the driver has enough rest.

One of the new features that has been added in some countries, and is planned to hit Egypt soon, is a speed limit watch. In order to reduce the possibility of accidents, Uber is setting a speed limit for drivers to sound a warning once the driver exceeds the speed limit.

Finally, a major concern in Egypt is the identity of the actual driver not matching the Uber profile of the requested driver. To mitigate that threat, drivers will be requested to verify their identity by taking a selfie every once in a while. This will protect drivers from misusing the app and will guarantee that the same profile is not circulated among different drivers.

We’re glad to see an international company taking strides to improve the services they offer their users. Taking clients for granted is the downfall of any service, so we hope these efforts succeed in their aim.