A MAJOR change to Uber that’s meant to improve safety has been slammed by some users across the pond who believe the idea is “extremely scary”.
The popular ride-hailing app has rolled out new Uber Teen accounts for children as young as 13.
Anyone aged between 13 and 17-years-old can be invited by their parents or guardians to set up an account so they can request their own trips.
Parents receive alerts whenever their kids request a trip and can track their journey too.
Uber says only “highly-rated and experienced” drivers will be allowed to accept bookings from teens.
But people in the US – where it’s been available for over a year already – have criticised the idea on social media, questioning why kids as young as 13 are taking Uber rides on their own.
Users in the UK are yet to react, as it started rolling out from Thursday.
“I just saw a commercial for “Teen Uber” where the app tells you where your teen is ubering to,” one person in the US wrote on November 24.
“Why TF are we letting teens take an Uber without an adult???”
Another said on November 23: “The uber teen ads are really depressing to me because why wouldn’t a parent be able to pick their child up from a dentist’s appointment or be there for their teen’s big win?”
And a third added: “am i the only one that thinks the whole uber teen thing is extremely scary and dangerous??”
Uber Teen also includes mandatory safety features such as a pin verification to ensure teens are matched with their correct driver, as well as a system which detects anomalies like an unexpected route change.
Parents can also view the driver’s details from their own Uber app.
The launch comes as a poll commissioned by Uber indicated that, on average, parents of teenagers spent a total of nearly eight days every year driving their kids to activities.
Some 59 per cent revealed they had to cancel or change their own plans to act as a mum and dad’s taxi.
Uber says it spent more than a year developing the product, working with ParentZone, which seeks to boost online safety for families and children.
Uber’s UK general manager Andrew Brem said: “Uber is thrilled to help busy families across the UK get around safely and easily.
“Teen accounts were developed to provide full transparency and peace of mind for parents, teens and drivers.”
ParentZone chief executive Vicki Shotbolt said the accounts would provide “an efficient way for teens to travel independently”.
In response to concerns, a spokesperson told The Sun: Uber for Teens was developed in partnership with Parent Zone to ensure safety is absolutely the top priority.
‘The key safety features built into the experience can’t be turned off by the teen, driver or parent.
‘Additionally, only highly rated drivers are eligible to receive trip requests from teens.’
Uber is also introducing some new ways to save money on the app.
Uber One for students costs £2.49 per month and offers discounts on rides and food deliveries.
Subscribers can also redem offers like 2-for-1 cinema tickets.
And Uber is semi reintroducing Uber Pool, now known as Uber XShare, which allows people to share rides with others heading in a similar direction to save up to 20 per cent.
It is only available in Bristol for now as part of a trial.
