Uber partners with Delhi Police for women safety mobile app

Ride sharing company Uber has announced its partnership with Delhi Police to allow quick access to Himmat, a women safety mobile app, through the rider app.

With this partnership, Himmat will now be accessible to lakhs of women riders in one go and this is Delhi Police's first partnership with any technology company. The colloboration will help the government body to intensify their focus on the safety of women.

Since its launch in January 2015, around 90,000 people have downloaded the Himmat app and it currently has over 31,000 registered users. Now, Uber aims to act as a force multiplier and expand its access to all of Uber's women riders.

Speaking on the partnership, Shweta Rajpal Kohli, Head - Public Policy, Uber India & South Asia, said, "At Uber, a safety of riders is paramount. We believe that technology-led solutions to overcoming safety challenges are increasingly vital to making mega-cities like Delhi safe for women. We are honored to be partnering with the Delhi Police in this critical mission. Combining access to the Himmat app through Uber is a big step towards strengthening the safety net available to lakhs of women riders. We applaud the efforts taken by the Delhi Police to prioritize the safety of women and believe that the Himmat app is a great initiative in this direction."

The first phase of this partnership will see Uber developing a permanent in-app access for the Himmat app, including a link to download it from the app store. The second phase will allow users to directly access the Himmat app from within the Uber app. The third and final phase will involve an API Integration between both the apps.

Sanjay Baniwal, Special Commissioner Police, Women Safety, Airports, and Modernisation, said, "Technology helps enable a more robust surveillance network and allows Himmat be harnessed to provide quick and timely assistance to women in distress. Through this partnership with Uber, we believe more women riders in Delhi will be sensitized about the availability of this assistance at hand. In addition to the Emergency Button in the Uber app, riders will now have one more touch point to access the police helpline in case of an emergency."

Madhur Verma, DCP-Crime Branch, Delhi Police, said, "To come out of the parochial mindsets, special women safety campaigns are needed. On our part, we have a helpline number 1091. In the world of social media, there are instances of cyber stalking and we have introduced anti-stalking helpline number 1096. Himmat app is Delhi Police's another step towards women's safety. It's important for us to focus on safety and we are glad that Uber is taking us to more women."