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Spotted: Rideshare services have become increasingly popular for their convenience, and with this demand has come an influx of new companies. Founded in India in 2010, Ola started expanding its overseas market in 2018, starting with Australia and then to New Zealand in September of that year. Ola has recently launched a new feature, Guardian, which uses artificial intelligence to increase rideshare safety. Designed by Ola’s global team as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to safety, Ola is the first rideshare platform to have developed and implemented this kind of technology and as a first of its kind in New Zealand, it will provide more reassurance for customers across the country.

Guardian uses real-time information to detect irregular activity, such as a possible crash, a long stop, or an unexpected deviation from the intended route. If something seems unusual, Ola’s safety response team will be alerted, and then will contact both the rider and driver to assess the situation or offer any needed assistance. This new technology will build on the platform’s existing safety measures, such as its in-app emergency button and ‘start code’ feature that sends riders a unique four-digit code to ensure they are paired with the right driver. Guardian is an “intelligent” product, built using machine learning, and as such, it is constantly collecting data and developing its ability to predict risk signals over time.

Guardian is set to roll out across all 14 of Ola’s locations in New Zealand early next year.

Written By: Serafina Basciano

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