Uber introduces new safety features for Riders and Drivers amid COVID-19 crisis

Uber India today announced  at its first virtual press briefing the launch of a range of COVID-19 specific safety features and policies that will change the way you ride the next time you use the app.

 

The announcements include an interactive Go Online Checklist for both riders and drivers, a mandatory mask policy for riders and drivers, pre-trip mask verification selfies for drivers, and updated post-trip feedback mechanism and a cancellation policy. All these new features are aimed at building a new product experience, which will help protect everyone, every time they use Uber.

 

Beginning today, riders and drivers will see a number of new additions in the app, such as:

 

• Go Online Checklists: Before a driver can go online, they will be asked to confirm, via a new Go Online Checklist, that they’ve taken certain safety measures and are wearing a face mask. A similar checklist has been built for riders. Before every trip, they must confirm that they’ve taken precautions such as wearing a face mask and washing or sanitizing their hands. 
• Mask Verification: Before drivers are able to start accepting trips, they will be asked to take a selfie with a mask on. Uber’s new technology will verify the driver is wearing a mask.
• Accountability for all: We are adding new options for feedback including if a rider or driver is not wearing a mask or face cover.
• Updated cancellation policy: Drivers and riders can cancel trips if they don’t feel safe, including if a user is not wearing a mask or face cover. 
• New seat limits: To allow for space between the driver and rider during an Uber ride, we’re advising riders not to sit in the front seat. Only two riders will be allowed in a car and they’ll have to sit in the rear seat. 
• Rideshare Health Safety Education: Working with global and local public health authorities, we have compiled safety tips and recommendations that will be sent to all riders and drivers. 

 

Announcing the new features, Sachin Kansal, Global Senior Director of Product Management at Uber, said, “Over the last two months, our global tech and safety product teams have been hard at work building a new, product experience for riders and drivers. Today, as India eases its lockdown, it’s important we take all necessary precautions to help keep ourselves safe and to make the next trip safer for all. These new features and policies have been rolled out globally, and we will keep enhancing and revising them as needed to ensure a safer product experience for all.”

Below is the list of cities where Uber services are available as of 19th May, 2020 during Lockdown 4.0

1. Amritsar
2. Asansol
3. Bengaluru
4. Chandigarh
5. Coimbatore
6. Cuttack
7. Daman
8. Delhi
9. Durgapur
10. Faridabad
11. Ghaziabad
12. Gurgaon
13. Guwahati
14. Hubli
15. Jalandhar
16. Kochi
17. Kozhikode
18. Ludhiana
19. Mangalore
20. Mehsana
21. Mohali
22. Mysore
23. Panchkula
24. Patiala
25. Prayagraj
26. Rohtak
27. Silvassa
28. Sonipat
29. Thiruvananthapuram
30. Thrissur
31. Tiruchirapalli
32. Udaipur
33. Vapi
34. Visakhapatnam

Uber Essential is available to riders in Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, Indore, Mumbai, and Nashik.  

Read More

Philips launches GoPure Compact 110 air purifier to combat in-car air pollution for Rs 7999/-

Amidst the debate of odd-even formula proposed by Delhi government to combat air-pollution, Philips has launched a compact air purifier to fight pollutants present in your car. Company already produces air purifier for home. Report claims that in-car pollution is three times more than that of outside.

Philips GoPure Compact 110 is a pretty compact device as the name suggest with patented filter technology implementation which is claimed to eliminate upto 99% of those in-car pollutants that are especially impacting those who have repertory problems like asthma.

The device takes only 15 minutes to purify air present in your car, it boasts an efficient three-layer filtration system that rapidly removes air pollutants. Equpped with Philips unique three-stage multi-layer filtration, Select Filter GSF80x80 outperforms other conventional air filters in eliminating 99% of PM2.5 fine particles including cigarette smoke, pollens, dust, PM 2.5, airborne virus and bacteria. It is also said to have capabilities to remove toxic gaseous chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene and TVOC which are caused by exhaust fumes and industry pollution. So you are protected against the particles in the outside air.

GoPure Compact 110 inbox contents (GoPure 110, strap, power cable, user manual)

GoPure compact 110 is easy to install as it comes with a strap which can be used to tie it up to arm rest or head rest. All you need to do is to plug in the 12V power cable that comes along with the device to your car's 12V outlet , as soon as you start your car the automatic switch will turn it on and then it takes just 15 minutes to make the air healthy for you.

Device is priced at Rs 7999/- and is expected to go on sales from first week of January on Amazon India website. We asked about the maintenance part and the good thing is that it is real easy to replace the filter, however filter would cost you around INR 1500 which should be replace after 350 odd hours of use. My fellow Blogger asked about notification system when its time to change the filter but as of now there is no such mechanism in built. That means you have to be vigilant about your filter's status and replace it when you think its the right time.

Read More

After Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal, MakeMyTrip rolls out app only 7 days sale

MakeMyTrip.com, India's leading online travel platform today announced one of the biggest ever travel sales in India dubbed as "Great Indian Getaway" sales. Following the trend this season this sales will be available only on app. Sales has started from today i.e. 27th October, 2015 and will end on 2nd November, 2015. Expect jaw dropping offers across categories including flights, hotels and holiday packages during the Great Indian Getaway sales. This festive season has proved to be one of the busiest season for online shoppers with almost every major player offering discount as big as they can to attract customers on their platforms. Recently Flipkart just concluded its second Big Billion Days sales, similarly Amazon is running "Great India Festive Season" sales, Snapdeal is no exception and other platforms such as Paytm, Shopclues etc all are cashing in the festive season of India.

Offer Highlights:

• Flat 1500 cashback on domestic flights.
• 90% off on domestic and International hotels.
• Buy 1, Get 1 Free on popular 4-5 star hotels.
• Flipkart vouchers worth Rs35000 on Singapore packages.
• Rs 20000/- off (per person) on Flight tickets to US, 15000/- off for Europe tickets.
• Upto 40% off on holiday packages.

MakeMyTrip’s Great Indian Getaway has been built on strong partnership alliances & exclusive supplier participation.  MakeMyTrip has entered into an exclusive partnership with Citibank and is providing add-on benefits & exclusive offers to Citi debit & credit card customers; in addition to bringing together participation from the company’s supplier ecosystem covering multiple domestic and international airlines and leading hotel chains including and not limited to Air France, KLM, Qatar Airways, Malaysian Airlines, Trident Group of Hotels, Singapore Tourism Board, Sterling Hotels, Country Inn & Suites, Lemon Tree, Ginger Group of Hotels, Lalit group of Hotels and Zuri Hotels & Resorts, Citrus Hotels.

Commenting on this, Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and CEO-India, MakeMyTrip.com said, “We strongly believe that the future of travel buying experience is on the ‘Mobile’ platform - the shift is already underway. We are strongly focused on strengthening our mobile technology and have been constantly enhancing our systems basis customers’ feedback. The Great Indian Getaway is the next-step  in our endeavor to provide the most comprehensive travel offers at the best pricing! We look forward to a positive response and constructive feedback from our customers.”

With mobile internet penetration surpassing broadband connections and with smartphones becoming more affordable; mobile apps are becoming the 'new way' of doing things - be it search, communication, buying or commuting, they are changing the way people shop and share experiences.  According to PhocusWright, mobile is expected to be the fastest-growing distribution channel with gross travel bookings on mobile estimated to grow over 1000% from 2012 to 2015, reaching $1.2 billion implying that it will be the key driver for growth and new customer-acquisition.

Mobile is a key focus area driving growth for MakeMyTrip. The company has been making substantial investments to strengthen its presence in this space. The company recently refreshed its user interface on the mobile application to further enhance users’ experience on the platform. It is also the only e-commerce company with mobile interface in 5 vernacular languages to nurture deeper engagements with users specifically in tier 2 and beyond towns and cities across the country. In order to building capacities and stress test its systems, the company launched 2 key mobile specific initiatives in the last year or so – Appy Hours and Trippy Tuesdays. The customer response towards these initiatives has been phenomenal with the peak traffic surging by 300% during Appy Hours and Trippy Tuesdays. During the Great Indian Getaway, the company expects a 5x surge in traffic. However, the company is prepared to handle 15x surge in traffic, which is expected during the peak hours.

Read More