Ride-hailing major Uber extended its rental service to autos allowing riders to book an auto and driver for several hours and make multiple stops. Uber has launched this service in Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune.
The service allows riders to book an auto rental starting from Rs 169 for a one-hour/ ten km with the option of selecting from multiple hourly packages that can be booked up to a maximum of 8 hours.
Commenting on the launch of the new service, Nitish Bhushan, Head of Marketplace & Categories, Uber India and South Asia, said, “As our cities reopen, we understand that our riders will have new use cases and different needs: one of which is to book a ride by the hour to help get all their errands done in one go.”
“Autos are one of the most popular modes of transport for Indians and we want to provide riders the ultimate convenience and flexibility on their favourite mode, all at affordable prices. This is an India-first innovation and a prime example of how we leverage technology to benefit both riders and drivers. All rides will conform to health guidelines, along with providing the highest possible safety standards,” he added.
This comes soon after Uber announce a partnership with Bajaj last month to install safety screens in 1 lakh autos across the country to provide an additional physical barrier and ensure social distancing between drivers and riders. The companies also distributed safety kits to 1 lakh auto-rickshaw drivers across 20 cities including New Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, among others.
Uber also launched a comprehensive set of safety measures, such as the Go Online Checklist, a mandatory mask policy for both riders and drivers, pre-trip mask verification selfies for drivers, mandatory driver education and an updated cancellation policy allowing both riders and driver to cancel trips if they don’t feel safe.