Uber to verify drivers before hiring them, test them for alcohol consumption before their journey: Delhi Police

New Delhi. The Delhi Police on Tuesday asked cab aggregator Uber to verify the antecedents of its drivers before hiring them and suggested that the company introduce a mechanism in cabs to check for alcohol consumption.

Drunk driving has been a major factor in violation of rules, Additional Commissioner of Delhi Police Mahesh Chandra Bhardwaj said at an event to launch Uber’s safety measures. Bhardwaj said, “If a driver is intoxicated then you should have some kind of mechanism to know that your driver is intoxicated. We screen drivers for alcohol intoxication through an ‘alcohol meter’.

Can Uber put a device like this near the steering so that you can be notified if the driver is intoxicated? Please find some mechanism to check drunk driving.” He also asked Uber to verify the antecedents of drivers before hiring them.

“Uber should try to set up a system to notify about traffic rule violations by its partner drivers, which can be shared with the Delhi Traffic Police,” Bhardwaj said.

Suraj Nair, Uber’s head of safety operations for India and South Asia, said the company has taken note of the feedback and will continue to study to check the feasibility of features in the system.

On the occasion, Uber announced extended support for users to call their helpline even 30 minutes after ending their ride. Mansi Chadha, Uber’s director (customer experience) for India and South Asia, said that the extended hours feature has been launched only in India.