Uber‘s new service for teenagers aged 13 and over to ride alone with approved drivers is causing a stir. While the ride-sharing giant insists the service includes safety measures, child protection experts question whether these are enough to safeguard young passengers.
The service, which aims to meet growing demand from parents seeking transport solutions for their teenagers, includes new features such as live tracking and a three-way intercom. Yet experts warn these precautions may not address fundamental risks.
New Safety Features: Live Tracking and Intercom
In response to safety concerns, Uber has introduced a number of protective features to accompany the teen ride service. These include live tracking of rides and a three-way intercom system, designed to allow communication between the driver, the child, and the parent throughout the journey. According to Uber, these measures are part of their efforts to ensure transparency and control over rides, providing a sense of security to parents.
Despite these precautions, child safety advocates remain unconvinced. Hedy Johnson, a prominent child protection campaigner, criticised the reliance on working with children checks, likening them to an ineffective safety measure.
“The current working with children safety check is like having an ashtray on a motorbike,” she stated, emphasising that such checks have not always prevented serious incidents involving drivers in the past. Moreover, cases where drivers with valid checks have committed crimes are raising doubts about their reliability.
Experts Question the Adequacy of Existing Safeguards
The primary concern raised by critics is that the new safety features, while a step forward, do not address deeper issues of trust and monitoring. Kate Emery, a journalist with extensive experience in public safety issues, echoed these concerns.
She pointed to recent incidents where individuals with working with children checks had been involved in criminal behaviour, which undermines the credibility of such checks as a safeguard for children. “We’ve seen very recently how much these working with children checks actually mean,” Emery noted during a panel discussion.
Additionally, Southern Cross Austereo News Director James Royce raised valid questions regarding the enforcement of these safety measures. “It’s probably all going to be technology,” Royce said, questioning who would monitor the effectiveness of Uber’s safeguards in practice.
He further argued that while the service might offer convenience for parents, it only takes one incident for the program to come under fire. Despite these concerns, the service is expected to appeal to parents looking for a reliable and convenient transport option for their teenagers.
