Online cab hailing service Uber has upgraded its in-app SOS button and now will have closer coordination with local police control rooms in case of an emergency. The company mentioned on its blog that when users press the SOS button it places a call with local law enforcement and will generate an alert automatically and send it directly to the local police control room. The alert contains critical trip information including exact vehicle location (tracked via GPS). This information is projected on a dedicated screen in the control room of local law enforcement set up by Uber’s safety experts. Uber had earlier in February debuted its SOS button and also had a feature called SafetyNet which allows users to easily share their trip details and real-time location with up to 5 friends and family members. Uber added that it has successfully tested the control room integration in Kolkata and that they are in advanced discussions with authorities in multiple cities across India to deploy the solution in the coming weeks. [caption id="attachment_133117" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Control room setup tested in Kolkata[/caption] Uber's timeline on security - Following the rape of a woman in Delhi by one of the service's drivers, Uber had introduced an improved ShareMyETA button in December that allows passengers to send their complete trip details (including live GPS tracking, driver photo, name and vehicle license number). The company also said that it will be setting up a local and dedicated customer support center that will specialise on resolving critical issues for Uber riders and its driver community…
