As Bangladesh aims to transition from an LDC (Least Developed Country) and receive official Developing Country status by 2024, Uber remains committed to Bangladesh’s socioeconomic growth by creating livelihood opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis, it said in a media statement.

Commenting on the four years milestone, Shiva Shailendran, Head of Bangladesh and North & West India, Uber, said this anniversary reminds them of the important role Uber plays in Bangladesh, especially as a platform that can help provide convenient, affordable and safe rides, while allowing drivers the chance to earn flexibly.

"Uber is committed to growing our business in the country with continued and focused market and product innovations that will help Bangladesh move forward, and further accelerate economic revival. We want to take this opportunity to thank our community of riders and driver-partners for their extraordinary support and loyalty.”

Since a nationwide lockdown was lifted, Uber has launched multiple new services for supporting the needs of its riders.

These include Uber Connect, the package delivery service, which enables customers to transport packages from the safety of their homes and Uber Rentals, which allows riders to book affordable multi-hour, multi-stop options to travel in the new normal.

In August this year, Uber, the first ridesharing company to commence operations in Bangladesh, announced a partnership with bKash to provide contactless payment options for riders to help sustain physical distancing.

Emerging from a global pandemic, the company sees the partnership as a step towards keeping everyone who uses the Uber Platform safe by making the payment process contactless, cashless and secure.

Over the past few months, Uber’s tech and safety teams have been working overtime to build a new product experience for helping riders feel safe, every time they use Uber.

The company launched comprehensive tech enabled safety measures that include an interactive Go Online Checklist, a mandatory mask policy, and industry first pre-trip mask verification selfies, for both riders and drivers.

Additionally, Uber said, it also announced the launch of its 24x7 safety helpline in November, which allows riders to get in touch with Uber’s safety team for an urgent, non-emergency issue, such as reporting a dispute with a driver or a break-down, while on a trip.

The safety line is in addition to the in-app SOS 999 button already available in the safety toolkit, which allows riders to connect to law enforcement authorities in case of an emergency.

Through its technology expertise, impactful partnerships and product innovation, Uber aims to support Bangladesh’s road to recovery and help the country build back better after the pandemic.

Read Also: Uber and bKash partner to provide contactless payment options for Bangladeshi riders