Ola launches safety response team to assist passengers

Cab aggregator Ola on Tuesday launched a pilot project where deviations from the route and unexpected stops will alert the safety response system.

Termed ‘Ola Guardian’, the system will alert Ola’s in-house Safety Response Team (SRT) if the driver deviates from the route marked for the journey.

“The passenger will get a call immediately, and the SRT will check whether the passenger is comfortable with the deviation or a sudden stop. If the passenger does not agree, the police will be alerted,” an Ola spokesperson said.

The pilot project was launched in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Pune on Tuesday and will soon be extended to Delhi and Kolkata. The rest of the cities will come under the system by December.

The aggregator will analyse the trips in real time for deviations and sudden stops and will keep a tab on the time of the travel. The assistance is provided based on the request by the customer.

Ola said it was working with officials to map dangerous spots and unsafe routes.

Checking impersonation

In many incidents of assaults on women passengers in Ola cabs, a friend or relative of the driver registered with the aggregator has emerged as accused. The aggregator said it would roll out a “selfie authentication initiative” to check driver impersonation.

The aggregator claimed that the pilot programme launched last year was a success.

Drivers registered with the platform are required to validate their identity by taking a selfie and sharing it with the Ola team in real time.

“This photograph of the driver will then be compared to the image on record. Impersonators will have their platform access revoked and will be subject to investigation,” a release from the aggregator said.