Uber Canada is launching a new rider verification system to help create more trust between riders and drivers.
Over the next two to three months, the ability to verify will roll out to riders in all Canadian cities. Riders who complete the verification process will get a verified badge on their profile that will be visible to drivers.
Notably, Uber set up the verification process in such a way that most riders won’t need to do anything additional to become verified. The first step in the process involves cross-checking account details Uber already has on file, such as names and phone numbers. Uber says that this will be sufficient to verify the “majority of rider accounts.”
Uber will also provide an option for riders to upload government-issued identification, like a driver’s license or passport, along with a live selfie, to get the verified badge. Uber says it designed this process with privacy in mind, and that it stores verification data securely and encrypts ID documents. Further, drivers don’t see this information, with only a rider’s first name, star rating, trip details, and now the verified badge being visible.
“In cities where we’ve been piloting this program globally, drivers agree that knowing riders’ identities are verified by Uber makes them feel safer,” said Michael van Hemmen, general manager at Uber Canada, in an email to MobileSyrup. “We’ve also seen that verified riders tend to have fewer serious complaints from drivers.”
Alongside the new verification process, Uber is working on several other features to help address painpoints for drivers.
First, there’s an option for drivers to set a rider rating preference, which will help ensure drivers are matched with riders they’re comfortable with. This preference can be toggled on or off, giving drivers more choice over when they accept poorly-rated riders. Uber will pilot this feature later this year.
Next up is a change to how some delivery cancellations will impact deliverer ratings. Uber says that cancellations outside of a deliverer’s control, such as because a restaurant is closed, will no longer count against their ratings. Uber says it’s also working on its ability to detect low ratings for things outside of the delivery driver’s control to help reduce the impact on their ratings. This feature will launch in pilot in the coming weeks before a full rollout.
Finally, Uber will add a rides heatmap for drivers later this year. The heatmap will show where drivers see the shortest wait times in red, orange and yellow. It will also highlight high-demand areas in purple. Uber says the additional data will help drivers decide where and when to go to get more rides.
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