Uber partners Delhi Police to enhance women safety

Uber is partnering with Delhi Police to integrate women safety mobile app, Himmat in its rider app. The quick access to Himmat from within the Uber app will act as a "force multiplier," the company said.

This is Delhi Police’s first partnership with a technology company to enhance women safety in the capital city. Himmat app was launched by the Delhi Police in 2015. So far, the app has been downloaded over 90,000 times and has over 31,000 registered users. It allows passengers to send a distress call to the Police Control Room and their relatives in an event of emergency. When a passenger taps the distress call option, a 30-second audio and video recording from the phone is relayed to the authority.

“Combining access to the Himmat app through Uber is a big step towards strengthening the safety net available to lakhs of women riders. We applaud the efforts taken by the Delhi Police to prioritise safety of women and believe that the Himmat app is a great initiative in this direction,” said Shweta Rajpal Kohli, Head – Public Policy, Uber India & South Asia.

Himmat will be accessible to Delhi residents first, but Uber said it plans to extend the reach to all women passengers in India. The partnership will work in three phases. The first phase will see Uber developing a permanent in-app access for the Himmat app, including a link to download it from the app store. The second phase will allow users to directly access the Himmat app from within the Uber app. The third and final phase will involve an API integration between both the apps.

Uber has taken a number of steps in the past too to ensure the safety of its passengers. For eg, a rider can share trip details with friends and family, including estimated time of arrival and the specific route taken. There's also an emergency button that can be used in the emergency situations to connect with the local police.