Police ask cab aggregators to keep them in loop during emergency

Bengaluru: Bengaluru city police has asked Ola, Uber and other cab aggregators to revise their apps to make sure that when  a passenger in distress presses the panic button, a message is also relayed to the police control room along with the location of the cab.

Additional Commissioner of Police (East), Seemanth Kumar Singh said that the police department has asked the cab aggregators to upgrade the apps and also keep the police in loop in case of emergency

“If the police receive the message right after the person in distress presses the SOS button on the taxi apps, the control room could inform the nearby Hoysala to attend to the case. The response would be faster than if the victim’s family or friends received the message and informed the police,” he added.

 “There is a route to every destination and the companies should ensure that the drivers do not take a third road or end the trip midway. A practice of checking on routes taken by the drivers should be introduced and drivers taking alternative routes questioned. This will make other drivers responsible,” he said.

The customer care department of the companies, Mr. Singh said, should also follow up on the women passenger using their services at night and check with them over the phone after they end the journey.