Cabify will add a panic button to its app so passengers can alert authorities in a crisis.
The taxi-summoning smartphone app announced it is working on various initiatives to increase its security protocols following the death of a young woman in Puebla.
University student Mara Fernanda Castilla, 19, went missing after riding in a car hailed by Cabify.
Castilla had hailed a car from Cabify, a Spanish ride-sharing service, in the early hours of Sept. 8 after a night of clubbing with friends. The driver, who also worked for rival Uber, has since been arrested.
Cabify executives said they will continue to cooperate with the state Attorney General of the State of Puebla and pertinent authorities.
Puebla has since banished Cabify, but Mérida is one of six cities in Mexico and 37 across Latin America, Spain and Portugal, which advertises that their “drivers are hand-picked and specially trained, and you can track and share your journey so that friends know where you are.”
The panic button will be linked to police emergency systems.
Cabify promised to share with the authorities a list of drivers who have been discharged for any unlawful behavior.
“We comply with the corresponding regulations in each of the cities in which we operate,” said a company spokesman. “The state of Puebla is no exception. We are really dismayed. We want to tell Mara’s family again that our company fully supports them and that we remain at their disposal.”
Sources: Agencies, Guardian
