The private cab service company Uber today announced a new safety feature for its clients in India - a 24x7 helpline number that will allow the riders to get in touch with Uber's safety team at all times, in case they need to report issues regarding the route, co-passengers, or the driver. This is in addition to the 'Safety Toolkit' feature that allows the riders to share trip information with up to five contacts or contact law enforcement authorities in case of emergencies.

The new helpline number can be accessed from the Uber app's 'shield' icon. After tapping on the said icon, the users only need to select the 'Safety Helpline' option and swipe the screen to instantly connect to the Uber safety team through a call.

The company, in a statement, said that the new feature is not aimed to replace the emergency helpline 100 but is instead a helpful feature devised to enable riders and drivers to get urgent help from the company itself. "All our riders will now be able to access this helpline, any time of the day or night, should they need urgent assistance during their trip," said Pavan Vaish, Head of Central Operations (Rides), Uber India and South Asia.

The trained representatives of the 'Safety Incident Response Team' will be available 24x7 for users to reach out to at all times. The communication can be done either in Hindi or in English, the company said.

The new feature will specifically come in use in case riders have to report misbehaviour from a co-passenger, dispute with a driver, a ride breakdown midway, or an unusually long stop during a ride.

In a bid to ensure enhanced safety for passengers availing its service, Uber has been adding built-in safety features in its app for quite some time. The 'Safety Toolkit' was brought to India last year, while the 'Ride Check' feature frequently checks GPS radars and other sensors on a driver's phone during the ride to detect a possible crash.