BANGALORE: Taxi hailing app Uber has launched a new technology-based service in Kolkata, that will allow passengers to contact local authorities through the Uber app in case of an emergency. Passengers in danger will be immediately connected to the nearest police station, with the service also making it possible to track the vehicle in real-time, making it the first instance where a cab aggregator is collaborating with state authorities to offer a safety service embedded in the app. “The instantaneous alert contains critical information of the relevant trip and is projected on a dedicated screen in the control room of local law enforcement agency,” said Deval Delivala, India Safety Lead, Uber. “This enables the police to act within moments of being alerted in the rare event of an emergency, and often times, a few seconds make all the difference.” Ola and Meru too have an SOS feature built in their app. However that allows family members and friends to track vehicle and not the local police. “Uber has already launched this feature in Kolkata and the company is in advanced discussions with authorities to launch this solution in eleven cities in India in the coming weeks,” said Delivela.