Uber introduces teen ride service in India with parental controls
text_fields
Uber has begun rolling out its Uber for Teens service in India, allowing parents and guardians to create accounts for their teenagers, enabling them to book rides independently while ensuring safety through built-in monitoring features.
The Uber for Teens feature, initially launched in the US in 2023, has since expanded to nearly 50 countries. The service is now being introduced in India, starting with Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, and Mumbai.
According to a report by TechCrunch, Uber plans to extend the feature to 35 more cities in the coming weeks, including Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Hyderabad.
The service allows parents to invite their teenagers (aged 13 to 17) by adding their contact details to the app. Once the teen accepts the invitation, a dedicated teen account is created, offering additional safety and parental control features.
To ensure security, Uber matches teenage riders only with highly rated drivers who have passed background checks. Parents can track their teen’s ride in real time and even access recorded Uber calls between the driver and the teenager for added transparency.
Teen rides are also destination-locked, meaning drivers cannot modify the drop-off location. Other permanently enabled safety features include PIN verification and Uber’s RideCheck system, which detects unexpected route changes or long stops.
While guardians must link a credit or debit card before setting up a teen account, teenagers have the flexibility to choose their preferred payment method for booking rides. Parents can also set limits on the number of trips a teenager can take each month.
Uber highlighted the success of Uber for Teens in its financial report for the fourth quarter of 2024, stating that the service is now available in nearly 50 countries.