MUHAMMAD SALEEM

LAHORE: Vice President and Uber Regional General Manager of Europe, Middle East and Africa Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty has said that they are growing rapidly and see Pakistan as a country full of opportunities where ride-sharing has just scratched the surface, as both a transport option and an earning opportunity.

In two years, Uber has created over 100,000 flexible economic opportunities and moved hundreds of thousands of people across Pakistan, he said while talking to Business Recorder.

Pierre, who heads Uber’s operations across Europe, Middle East and Africa, and overseeing the company’s growing business across 45 countries and over 120 cities, said the Pakistan government has been supportive of disruptive technologies in recent years and we appreciate the role they have played in providing masses a more convenient and affordable mode of transport along with creating numerous economic opportunities.

“We compete in many markets around the world and understand what it means to have a leading position; and we are able to bring in best practices leveraging our global scale and technology and apply it in the region coupled with recent mergers freeing up capital and resources to invest back in the region,” he said.

He said Uber’s big three advantages are operational excellence, tech innovation and global scale and we are bringing that to Pakistan through the growth of our low cost products, which is growing at exponential rates. “We will continue to work closely with the government towards a sensible and modern regulatory framework, so that Pakistanis continue to benefit from technologies like Uber,” he said. “Uber is constantly finding innovative solutions that meet needs of Pakistani public - and Uber Lite is one such product.”

Despite the launch of several low cost products, millions still face real barriers to using our technology, he said, adding: “Smart phone use is limited to 43 percent of the population which means a majority of people aren’t readily connected to high speed internet and data. Uber Lite is a new, simpler app built to meet the needs of this new wave of users, their phones and diverse conditions.

Talking about Pakistan’s traffic problem, Pierre said they consider it a challenge. But for now, our focus is on the provision of affordable and safe transportation for as many people as possible, tapping into local modes of transport. As for traffic congestions, the government is the lead stakeholder as in any other country. If our Uber bus project goes well, maybe in the future, we can see its implementation in other countries which will certainly help with the traffic scenario, he added. “We’re certainly interested in reducing congestion and helping the environment, and are always exploring how we can play that role here,” he said.

He further said that Uber and ride-sharing is still a relatively new concept in Pakistan which means there has not been a clear regulation in each and every province. But we are working on that and that is why I’m here on ground. As a company we want to engage with provinces to create a regulatory framework. “We are not shying away from regulations, rather the contrary. What I can say with assuredness is that we support any regulation in favour of consumers, their safety and growth of the sector,” he said. “At Uber, we put our riders and their needs at the centre of our products. In efforts to provide increased safety, a new safety toolkit has been launched with features including emergency button, caller anonymisation, and share trip for a group of friends and family.”

He said, “Uber have also invested in a 24/7 global Incident Response Team (IRT) to respond to any incidents or accidents that are reported to Uber. This team includes former law enforcement staff who work directly with the local police to assist in their investigations.” We are partnering with organizations like Pakistan Red Crescent Society to ensure our driver partners meet international standards of road safety and first-aid training, and with Kashf Foundation to provide drivers additional training around sexual harassment, he said.

For drivers, he said, Uber launched an insurance product called Injury Protection, covering the cost of emergency medical treatment and compensation of lost earning opportunities due to accidental injuries sustained while ‘On-Trip’. “Our teams are striving to innovate and build cutting edge safety technology, and are always updating policies to ensure high standards of safety and quality on our platform.”

To a query, he said they also introduced drivers’ hour limits which prevent drivers from driving more than 12 hours, and alleviating driver fatigue. “We also conduct periodic trainings for our driver partners in partnership with law enforcement agencies. These trainings are typically regarding safety, traffic rules and regulations.”

Regarding his recent meetings with Finance Minister Asad Umer and Trade Minister Razak Dawood, he said, “One of the objectives of these meetings was to explain how Uber contributes to economic growth of the country. The larger objective has been to discuss how we can be better partners to the provinces and the federal govt.” He said he met with a number of government officials and ministers and have been highly impressed by the pragmatism and forward-thinking they all displayed. They value the contribution Uber has made to the country in terms of increasing safe mobility, bringing opportunities, and they want us to continue to invest.

He said, “As an innovative company, Uber will continue to serve consumers and launch initiatives that respond to local needs. We have invested considerable amounts and expertise in launching new safety features including emergency button, trusted contacts, safety centre, sharp trip and caller anonymization.”