Uber’s questionable internal affairs, including a lax human resource department and sexual harassment cases that were brought to light by Susan Fowler, a former engineer at the ride-hailing firm spurred an internal investigation that, upon completion, recommended several changes in the company. One of the recommendation was to have CEO Travis Kalanick take a leave of absence, who has since resigned his role.
The company, which has its business in more than 475 cities in over 75 countries, has updated its community guidelines for riders and drivers across East Africa. Apparently, these updates should enhance relations for drivers and passengers and ensure harmonious trips.
Respect is paramount
As much as this is a cliché, Uber is wants drivers to respect fellow drivers and riders. Ideally, cases of noise, insults or slamming car doors, among other vices, must be avoided at all times. At the same time, riders are advised not to litter or spill drinks in car because subsequent customers would want to travel in a neat car. Riders who will engage in such behavior, in addition to using foul language will be banned from the app.
Personal space and the “No Sex” rule
People like it when other people respect personal boundaries. Meddling into others’ affairs is frowned upon. This should not be confused with a friendly, harmless conversation because it is fine. Uber is discouraging riders or drivers from careless engagements that may make people uncomfortable.
Interestingly, the company also has a “no sex” rule; drivers and riders are forbidden from engaging in any form of flirting, touching or sexual activity. For those among you who are into BDSM, physical contact, be it a fight or otherwise, is equally forbidden.
Safety
Similar to traffic rules, Uber wants drivers to adhere to stated speed limits, keeping off texts while driving, not driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and so forth. Riders must also keep their seatbelts on at all times. The same passengers should not tell the driver to rush. This is because safety is Uber’s top priority.
People under the age of 18 must be supervised
We call them children, and their rides must be supervised by an adult such as parents and guardians. This is because Uber does not allow under 18s to have an account with them. If the company discovers that a minor is hailing a taxi, the holder of that account will his slot deactivated. Minors who have accounts using the credentials of a party over will have their profile deactivated after a second warning.
Feedback
Rumblings and complaints can only be dealt with if there is a feedback system. So, to make Uber a better solution for your taxi needs, riders and drivers should file and post feedback after every trip. Ratings will also make people conscious of their behaviour and be answerable to them.
To sum, the following actions will make a user lose his/her account:
- Destroying property that belongs to fellow riders or the driver. This may be in the form of food spillages, breaking parts of the vehicle, smoking or throwing up because, drunk.
- Inappropriate physical contact
- Foul language or insults
- Harassing riders or drivers after trips have been concluded by making uncalled for phonecalls or sending text messages.
- Disregard of common decency or rules such as sneaking alcoholic drinks or drugs into an Uber, carrying excess riders, ignoring traffic rules or using Uber to commit a crime.
The taxi-hailing company has a comprehensive copy of these guidelines on its blog.
