Uber has been criticized on social media for his decision to start a youth account.
‘Uber for Teens’ is a new app in the UK that allows 13-year-olds to order a ride on their own.
Uber says the tool will ’empower young people’ while ‘giving parents peace of mind’.
However, many users have been quick to express their concerns over the idea of children traveling alone in Ubers.
Based on X (initially Twitter) when the tool was launched in the US earlier this year, one user wrote: ‘Yeah, I won’t say no. Young people should not ride in cars with strangers.’
Another added: ‘This is just a bad idea on paper.’
And one wrote horrifyingly: ‘This is going to be fine…’
Here’s how the new Uber for Teens tool works as it rolls out across the UK.
Uber has been criticized on social media for its decision to set up youth accounts in the UK (stock image)
‘Uber for Teens’ is a new tool in the UK, which allows children as young as 13 to order a ride on their own.
Many users have been quick to express their concerns over the idea of children traveling alone in Ubers. One user said the idea of youth accounts on Uber ‘doesn’t sit well’
Uber Teens targets 13- to 17-year-olds and is set to launch in Canada in 2022, before launching in several US cities the following year.
Now, Uber has announced that it plans to launch the tool in UK cities ‘in the coming months’.
“Uber is delighted to help busy families in the UK get around safely and easily,” said Andrew Brem, UK General Manager.
‘Junior accounts are designed to be easy to use and provide complete peace of mind for parents, young people, and drivers.’
Parents can activate the tool by adding their teen to their Uber account and sending them an invitation.
The teen will be asked to download the Uber app and set up their teen account.
Once all are established, young people will be able to order their own Uber, and ride themselves.
Uber points out that the tool has several safety features to keep parents comfortable, such as live trip tracking.
Uber Teens targets 13- to 17-year-olds and is slated to premiere in Canada in 2022, before rolling out to several US cities the following year (stock photo)
‘Every time your teen wants a ride, you can track their location in the app and get updates on live ride tracking,’ Uber explained.
One affected user called Uber Teen a ‘bad idea on paper’
‘Every time your teen wants a ride, you can track their location in the app and get updates on live ride tracking,’ Uber explained.
‘Youth journeys are destination locked, meaning drivers can’t change their destination, only your teenager can.’
Uber Teen also includes pin verification that ensures teens are matched with the correct driver.
‘Before a teenager gets into a car, they must give their driver a unique PIN,’ Uber explained.
‘Drivers are unable to start a journey until they enter the correct code into the Driver app.’
In addition, if their ride takes an unexpected turn, stops unexpectedly, or ends early, Uber notifies the teen and sends them a message to ask if they need help.
In the US, young people have the option of making an Audio Recording of their journey, although this is not available in the UK.
Uber also confirms that it only selects the most qualified drivers for youth trips.
One user said that teenagers ‘shouldn’t ride in cars with strangers’
Despite many safety features, several users have reported Uber Teen
One user called Uber Teen ‘amazing and amazing’
‘With only experienced, highly respected drivers dedicated to teen riders, and options for parents to join the driver or Uber safety harness at any time, Uber for Teens makes it easy for families to navigate their errands safely,’ Uber added.
Despite many safety features, several users have reported Uber Teen.
‘Uber is now promoting “youth accounts” and something about it doesn’t sit well with me,’ one user tweeted.
Another added: ‘Uber Teen is amazing and amazing.’
And someone wrote: ‘am I the only one who thinks the whole uber thing is so scary and dangerous?’
In response, an Uber spokesperson told MailOnline: “Uber for Teens has been developed in partnership with Parent Zone to ensure safety is a top priority.
‘Great safety features built into the experience can’t be turned off by a teenager, driver or parent.
‘Furthermore, only the most certified drivers are qualified to accept travel requests from young people.’
