Mobility service provider Uber has expanded its services to Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, and Naivasha, creating more job opportunities in the destinations while cementing its position in the industry.

The ride-hailing app has also invested in new safety features both for its drivers and riders.

The move was prompted by research conducted by the firm which revealed that riders were not aware of the security features available thus making them lack confidence in using the platform.

Among the safety features include Ride Check which kicks in automatically after the trip stops for some period due to unprecedented reasons and this will prompt a check from Uber if the rider and the driver are alright, in case both are unresponsive, they will receive a call from Uber.

"We are committed to East Africa, a key contributor to the growth of our business in Sub-Saharan Africa. We are passionate about helping people travel and discover their city with ease and helping drivers increase earning opportunities," said Uber Head of East Africa Imran Manji.

He further noted that the expansion of the firm's market to the new regions will also help the drivers to tap into the new era of digital entrepreneurship as it has surpassed one billion trips in Africa.

The firm has also introduced two new products for its customers in Nairobi; a go-anywhere fast product dubbed Chap Chap Share and Uber XL, with the latter becoming effective on September 19.

Chap Chap Share which targets mostly commuters enables one to share a ride with someone else plying the same route and headed to the same destination.

This service aims to help reduce costs for riders and drivers as it gives one up to 30 per cent savings on trip fares when a rider is paired with a co-rider.

On the other hand, Uber XL targets a large number of passengers of up to 6 people who want to travel together, whether going for airport trips or business trips.

In addition to that, Uber has introduced Audio Recording for trips to allow a rider to have evidence in case there is an issue during the trip such as harassment.

The driver, passenger and Uber itself cannot hear what is being recorded since the files are encrypted and can only be accessed by the firm in case an issue has been reported and presenting of evidence is required.

It will be first available in Johannesburg South Africa before being rolled out to other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Copyright Capital FM. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com)., source News Service English