by Edna Alcantara
MEXICO CITY, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Drivers and users of Chinese ride-hailing giant DiDi Chuxing have added safety measures to make their rides more secure in Mexico, with new features to be rolled out this month.
The new features include the ability to make an audio recording of the trip at the touch of a button, and an automated alert system that is triggered by unusual activity, such as a prolonged stop or overly extended trip.
"We are offering drivers and passengers the best protection available on the market," DiDi's director of operations for North Mexico, Richard Farr, told Xinhua.
"And we will continue to develop tools and functions that allow us to continue providing the highest safety standards, in coordination with the authorities," Farr said.
The features, already available in China, are being adapted to the needs of each city DiDi operates in around the globe.
In Mexico, Didi will make them first available in the cities of Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla and Chihuahua, before putting them into practice nationwide in the following weeks.
By pressing a button on the app, a rider or driver will be able to record the trip. The audio "will be automatically sent to a protected and confidential database to serve as a form of support in the resolution of incidents," said Farr.
When the app detects unusual activity in the progress of the trip, the system will send an alert to the driver and the user, asking if everything is alright or if they require assistance. Regardless of the reply, if the trip continues to show unusual progress, DiDi's security team will be automatically alerted.
"On the one hand, we want these functions to help prevent incidents on each trip, and on the other, to serve as a tool for resolving incidents and clarifying reports," said Farr.
With these safety features, and the health and hygiene measures in place to prevent the transmission of the novel coronavirus, "we can affirm that we are offering drivers and passengers the best protection available on the market," stressed Farr.
The company has specialized engineers in Mexico, Brazil, China as well as in U.S. Silicon Valley who use big data analysis, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to create innovative solutions "to protect drivers and passengers on each trip," he added.
Didi Chuxing, China's leading ride-hailing app, arrived in Mexico in 2018 and now operates in 33 cities around the country, offering a range of services including food delivery and taxi service. Enditem
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