Uber launches teen accounts, giving parents option to track children’s journeys

Parents of teenagers can track their Uber journeys under a new scheme.

They can also be alerted every time a new trip is requested by their child, and only “highly-rated and experienced” drivers will be allowed to accept the bookings, the ride-hailing app company said.

The Uber Teen product is being rolled out from Thursday and will be available in all UK cities served by Uber over the coming months, after being trialled in the US and Canada.

Children aged 13-17 can be invited by their parents or guardians to set up an account which enables them to request trips.

A survey commissioned by Uber indicated that, on average, parents of teenagers spent a total of nearly eight days every year driving their sons or daughters to activities.

Some 59% said they had cancelled or changed their own plans to act as a parental taxi service.

Uber Teen includes mandatory safety features including pin verification to ensure teenagers are matched with their correct driver, and a system which detects anomalies such as unexpected route changes.

Parents are notified through their own app about bookings, and can also view the driver’s details and track the progress of a journey.

Uber spent more than a year developing the product, working with ParentZone, which seeks to boost online safety for families and children.

Uber’s UK general manager Andrew Brem said: “Uber is thrilled to help busy families across the UK get around safely and easily.

“Teen accounts were developed to provide full transparency and peace of mind for parents, teens and drivers.”

ParentZone chief executive Vicki Shotbolt said the accounts would provide “an efficient way for teens to travel independently”.

Uber is also introducing a discount scheme for students costing £2.49 per month, and a new ride-sharing XShare option to save up to 20% off fares will be trialled in Bristol.

– The survey of 2,000 UK parents was conducted by research company Censuswide earlier this month.

Published: 28/11/2024 by Radio NewsHub