Keely Goodall12 April 2024 | 17:00

Uber launches ‘teen accounts’ with additional safety features

Parents and guardians can invite teenagers to create sub-accounts linked to their own Uber account.

Uber launches ‘teen accounts’ with additional safety features

Picture: © junce/123rf.com

John Perlman speaks with Kagiso Khaole, Uber General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa

Listen to the interview in the audio below.

Uber has opened its platform to allow teenagers access, but with the supervision of parents and guardians over 18, who can invite their kids aged between 13 and 17 to create specialised Uber accounts.

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This means teens can now request their own rides, which come with built-in safety features, including pin verification and audio recordings of the trip.

Parents will also be able to contact their child’s driver at any time during a trip, and can use GPS data to detect if a ride goes off course.

“It's basically an evolution of the family profile.” 
- Kagiso Khaole, Uber General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa

According to Khaole, only highly rated drivers with experience will be allowed to transport teens.

The Uber account holder will can cancel trips requested by the teenager, as well as control the monthly spend on their child's sub-account.

“The control is always in the guardians’ hands.”
- Kagiso Khaole, Uber General Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.