A dozen Uber vehicles in Cape Town have been fitted with rooftop cameras to map the Mother City in an attempt to improve the efficiency of the ride-hailing service.
Uber hopes the information it gathers will allow more accurate estimated times of arrival and help drivers find the best routes through South Africa’s most congested city.
The initiative is part of Uber’s plan to “augment and improve” its mapping technology‚ which mainly relies on Google Maps.
Uber has invested $500 million in global mapping and hired Brian McClendon‚ who was behind Google Maps and helped create Google Earth.
Uber spokeswoman Samantha Allenberg told Quartz.com the mapping devices did not retain images at or around the initial pick-up or final drop-off locations of users‚ to protect their privacy and security.
Uber would also accept reasonable requests to delete images. The data collected will not be disclosed to the public.
TMG Digital/Sunday Times
Uber banks on cameras to navigate the mother of all congested cities
A dozen Uber vehicles in Cape Town have been fitted with rooftop cameras to map the Mother City in an attempt to improve the efficiency of the ride-hailing service.
Uber hopes the information it gathers will allow more accurate estimated times of arrival and help drivers find the best routes through South Africa’s most congested city.
The initiative is part of Uber’s plan to “augment and improve” its mapping technology‚ which mainly relies on Google Maps.
Uber has invested $500 million in global mapping and hired Brian McClendon‚ who was behind Google Maps and helped create Google Earth.
Uber spokeswoman Samantha Allenberg told Quartz.com the mapping devices did not retain images at or around the initial pick-up or final drop-off locations of users‚ to protect their privacy and security.
Uber would also accept reasonable requests to delete images. The data collected will not be disclosed to the public.
TMG Digital/Sunday Times
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos