Safety and security of commuters is our highest priority: Uber

Global ride-hailing platform Uber on Tuesday said it has invested significantly on the safety of its commuters as a part of its key business priorities in the backdrop of harassment complaints it received last year. "Safety and security of our commuters is something which is of the highest priority at Uber. We have nearly 7 million people across the globe using our services every day.

We have invested a lot in safety as a key business priority," Uber chief diversity officer Bo Young Lee said at an event here. She said the company has invested in technology and engineering to make the app more efficient.

"We have worked a lot within the app so that if a customer feels unsafe they can immediately report about the same. We have laid down strict guidelines in dealing with complaints to ensure there is no discrimination or harassment," Lee added. When asked if the company is planning to hire more women drivers, she said, "we are focusing on this aspect. But when we talk to women drivers, they talk about safety and therefore safety has been our priority." Lee, who was the global diversity and inclusion officer at risk advisory and insurance brokerage company Marsh, was appointed by Uber under new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi after the company received several complaints of sexual harassment on a blogpost by former software engineer Susan Fowler.

During the session, she also noted that theres also a need to talk about racial, ethnic, religious, economic status and LGBT diversity as well as disability in India in the way its being discussed in the rest of Asia. "The challenge with diversity and inclusion is that you will make people deeply uncomfortable and challenge peoples views about how a workplace should look, she said.

There is a need to have conversations about sexual orientation at the workplace," Lee added..

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