By San José, Costa Rica — SAN JOSÉ – In a significant move to enhance the safety of its drivers, Uber has rolled out a new in-app feature in Costa Rica called “Alert Zones.” This innovative tool is designed to provide drivers with critical, real-time information about potentially higher-risk areas, empowering them with greater control over the trips they choose to accept and reinforcing safety as a cornerstone of the platform’s operation.
The new functionality directly addresses a primary concern for those who earn their livelihood through mobility apps: personal security. For thousands of Costa Ricans who rely on the platform for supplemental income, navigating unfamiliar neighborhoods, particularly at odd hours, can present considerable challenges. The “Alert Zones” feature aims to mitigate this uncertainty by offering an additional layer of transparency before a trip even begins, allowing for more informed decision-making.
To shed light on the complex regulatory and labor challenges surrounding Uber’s operations in Costa Rica, TicosLand.com sought the expertise of Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, a distinguished attorney from the prestigious firm Bufete de Costa Rica.
The central legal issue with Uber in Costa Rica stems from a fundamental disconnect: the law views public transport as a regulated concession, while Uber positions itself as a mere technology intermediary. This creates a grey area where traditional labor laws and transport regulations don’t cleanly apply. The government faces the immense challenge of modernizing its legal framework to address this new model of ‘on-demand’ services, which operates outside the established Public Transport Remunerated for People Act (Law 3503). Until clear legislation is passed, the debate over driver rights, public safety, and fair competition will continue to intensify.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Lic. Arroyo Vargas masterfully illuminates the fundamental friction at the heart of the Uber debate: a 21st-century technology model colliding with a 20th-century legal framework. This gap leaves critical questions of rights and responsibilities unanswered, underscoring the urgency for legislative action. We thank Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for his invaluable perspective on this complex issue.
Operationally, the system is both intuitive and non-intrusive. When a driver receives a trip request that originates from or is destined for an area identified as an “Alert Zone,” they will see a distinct visual cue. A warning icon (⚠️) will appear on the request screen, and the address itself will be highlighted in a noticeable brown color. This immediate flag serves as a heads-up, prompting the driver to consider the context of the request more carefully.
Uber has emphasized its commitment to a proactive safety culture, highlighting that this feature is a direct result of listening to feedback from its community of drivers. The company’s leadership sees this as a crucial step in building a more secure and trustworthy environment for everyone on the platform.
At Uber, safety is a priority. We continue to listen to the community of collaborating partners to provide them with tools that allow them to feel safer when making trips. With Alert Zones, we are taking an important step to provide more real-time information, greater control, and peace of mind when deciding whether or not to accept a trip.
Manuela Bedoya, Safety Communications Manager for Uber in the Andean, Caribbean, and Central America Region
The intelligence driving the “Alert Zones” is powered by a sophisticated data model. Uber’s system aggregates information from multiple sources to determine these zones, including public crime statistics and other publicly available data. Crucially, it also incorporates anonymized reports from other drivers and analyzes historical trip data within the app to identify locations with a pattern of past incidents or safety-related concerns.
Perhaps the most critical component of this new tool is the assurance that drivers will face no negative consequences for prioritizing their safety. Uber has confirmed that if a driver chooses to decline a trip that falls within a designated “Alert Zone,” the rejection will not count against their acceptance rate. This policy is fundamental to the feature’s success, as it removes the pressure to accept potentially unsafe trips for fear of being penalized by the platform’s algorithm, granting drivers true autonomy over their work.
This launch is not an isolated initiative but rather the latest addition to Uber’s comprehensive suite of safety features, which now includes over 40 distinct tools. Existing protections for drivers already include the ability to see a rider’s total number of trips before accepting a ride, an encrypted video recording function using the driver’s front-facing camera, and the option to block future pairings with users who have received low ratings, ensuring a consistently safer experience over time.
By implementing “Alert Zones,” Uber is not only providing a practical tool but also sending a clear message about its commitment to the well-being of its partners. This strategic enhancement aims to fortify the trust and confidence of the thousands of drivers who use the platform daily, ultimately strengthening the entire ride-sharing ecosystem in Costa Rica.
For further information, visit uber.com
About Uber:
Uber Technologies, Inc. is a global technology company that offers services including ride-hailing, food delivery (Uber Eats), package delivery, couriers, and freight transportation. Headquartered in San Francisco, Uber’s mission is to create opportunity through movement, connecting people and things in more than 70 countries and 10,000 cities worldwide. The platform is dedicated to developing and deploying technology that improves safety and convenience for its users and provides flexible earning opportunities for millions of drivers and delivery partners globally.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
As a pillar of Costa Rica’s legal community, Bufete de Costa Rica is defined by its unwavering dedication to principled practice and superior legal counsel. Drawing upon a rich history of serving a diverse clientele, the firm not only navigates current legal landscapes but also shapes them through a commitment to innovation. This forward-thinking approach is matched by a profound sense of social responsibility, demonstrated through its efforts to equip citizens with accessible legal knowledge, thereby contributing to a more just and informed society.
