The taxi sharing app service Uber is to follow the example set by Careem and will not be providing child car seats to families who request them when travelling with youngsters in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
The UberFamily Service was launched earlier this week on Wednesday 26th February and costs users an extra Dh10.
Booked vehicles will come with a standard car seat tailored to children who are less than five years of age.
This service is already being provided in New York City, and Uber says that the decision was made to introduce it in Dubai as a response to increased demand from local riders for more child-friendly travel options.
With transport needs in the UAE and the wider region continuing to evolve, the company wanted to meet local demands while broadening availability to the app for riders wanting easier access, according to Uber’s GCC and Levant general manager Rifad Mahasneh.
Customers are also looking for design solutions that provide improvements to mobility while ensuring that reliability and safety remain priorities, and UberFamily has been designed to cater to the always-changing needs of modern families, according to Mahasneh.
The announcement is a positive one for families who have access to only one or even no vehicles, as well as those who regularly make use of public transport in Dubai.
Toddler safety has been a big concern for the likes of Priyanka Uchil, a resident of the emirate who has one child and who points out that it is unsafe for a child to sit in their parent’s lap on public transport.
Uchil believes that many parents will be very grateful for the new service and are likely to request its inclusion when making their car booking with Uber.
Uchil adds that it will remove a lot of extra hassle for her when it comes to picking up her child from their nanny and then going on to play dates.
Dubai mother of two Zeba Syed agrees, having been a regular user of the similar service offered by Careem.
However, Syed adds that she will be happy to use the new service from Uber and is pleased to see parents being given a greater number of options to choose from in regard to the quick booking of safer vehicles.
To access UberFamily, users need to open their Uber app and enter their drop-off destination.
Users will then be required to swipe in order to expand the product list and can then request Family for an additional charge of Dh10.
Anyone who drives a motor vehicle in Dubai or anywhere else in the UAE must by law have coverage by at least a basic form of third-party car insurance.
There are many more comprehensive forms of car insurance also available in the country that can cover drivers against the likes of damage done to their vehicles by bad weather or in the event that their car is stolen.