“‘Uber for Teens’ now available in France”

The famous ride-sharing app connecting passengers and drivers brings “Uber for Teens” to 13 French cities

Paris, Toulouse, Marseille, Perpignan, Nice, Lyon, Strasbourg, Nantes, Amiens, Angers, Montpellier, Bordeaux, and Lille. These are the cities hosting the new feature of the Uber app, “Uber for Teens”, since October 30th. How does it work in practice?

Since the Uber app is only available for individuals over 18, this service allows children aged 13 to 17 to get into a car driven by an Uber driver. To do this, an adult must invite the teenager to join their profile to enable them to use the app. The adolescent can now book rides from their phone, provided they validate a PIN code upon entering the car.

The available budget for rides is managed by the account holder adult. They can allocate a specific monthly budget if necessary.

Safety, a major concern of this feature

Allowing a child to get into a car with a stranger can be frightening. However, it must be acknowledged that Uber is doing a lot to reassure parents or legal guardians.

Firstly, drivers authorized to transport teenagers are among the highest-rated on the platform. They must also undergo a thorough background check, which is renewed annually.

It is also noteworthy that the adolescent’s trips can be monitored by the Uber account holder. A status is updated in real-time to indicate whether your teen is in the Uber or has arrived at their destination. Additionally, drivers cannot change the destination or cancel the trip; these actions are reserved for the teenager.

Finally, to further reassure adults, it is possible to record audio during each trip. This requires the adolescent’s consent, as the Uber driver does not have a say in this matter.

It’s not certain that these guarantees are sufficient to reassure everyone, but transporting a young person can also pose logistical challenges, especially for people working far from home or for single-parent families.

Read also: The world’s most luxurious and eco-friendly Uber rides are in London