Kiwi teens can now catch a ride with Uber without a parent needing to jump in too!
Rolling out across Uber locations in NZ, the new option for 14 to 17-year-olds gives them the freedom to book rides on their own while keeping parents in the loop - phew.
Currently in NZ, you’ve got to be at least 18 years old to have an Uber account. But, with the success of Uber for Teens over in Australia, the US, Canada and Latin America, they’re bringing the option here.
The team at Uber say it's all about making life easier for busy families to get from A to B, especially those of us juggling busy schedules.
How does it work, you ask? Parents can set up a special Uber account for their teens under the family profile. That means they zip around town while mum or dad track their trip in real time. Plus, Uber says parents will be able to communicate with the drivers and have access to Uber's in-car audio recording function.
Other Uber for Teens safety features include:
- PIN Verification: PIN Verification will be asked for from every teen to make sure they are getting into the correct car.
- RideCheck: RideCheck will contact the teen and driver to check if everything is okay when it suspects something might've gone wrong - like a possible crash or an unexpected long stop.
- Expanded communication: During the trip, parents/guardians can call the driver partner at any time.
- Experienced Drivers: All drivers will need to highly rated and experienced drivers to be allowed to pick up a teen. They have also been trained in promoting safe interactions with minors.
After doing some research, Uber found that nearly half of parents have had to say "no" to activities because of transport hassles. But 71% of parents are totally on board with a rideshare if the safety is top-notch for their teens.
Emma Foley, the Uber ANZ boss, is stoked to bring the option to NZ. “We hope that Uber for teens will provide families with more flexibility while helping grow teenagers’ independence so they can get to their favourite activities and avoid missing out on what they enjoy the most,” she said.
