Ride-hailing major Uber announced on Thursday that it is partnering with Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) and L&T Metro to integrate public transport into its app. With the public transport feature, riders will be able to plan their transit journey with real-time information and end-to-end directions, all within the Uber app.
Hyderabad is the second city in India and third in Asia Pacific to get the feature, after it was launched in Delhi in October 2019.
Under the current partnership in Hyderabad, users will be able to plan their commute by reviewing HMRL and Telangana State Road Transport Corporations’ (TSRTC) bus service information on the Uber app.
On selecting ‘Public Transport,’ the app displays information on HMRL and TSRTC bus service with details on real-time scheduling, arrival and departure times, pricing, information on stops, and walking directions to a destination. Users will have the option of customizing each journey by choosing preferred modes of transit and route including choosing ridesharing options to help with first/last mile connectivity.
Commenting on the launch, Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India and South Asia, said, “Following our successful partnership with DMRC, we’re thrilled to partner with Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) to launch our ‘Public Transport’ journey planning feature for powering smart mobility in Hyderabad. We believe the future of urban transportation is all about the seamless integration of public transit systems and shared mobility solutions. This enables efficient commute options, saves riders time and money, improves the city’s productivity and helps build smarter and more sustainable cities.”
The launch of this feature comes at metro services gradually resume in Hyderabad.
“We recognize that public transport and Uber can be a powerful combination as riders will have information on metro and bus service schedules to make smart choices, along with options to complete the first and last mile of their journey. We hope with this new initiative people who wouldn’t regularly consider public transport will realize how easy and affordable it can be,” KVB Reddy, MD & CEO, L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited said in a statement.
Including Delhi and Hyderabad, Uber Transit Journey Planning has been introduced in more than 15 cities around the world in partnership with leading transit operators including the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the United States. Uber has integrated Transport for London (TfL) information in London, UK to provide real time London tube and bus schedules, as well as train, tram, shuttle, river boat, light rail, and commuter rail service for Greater London and in Nice, France to provide late-night connecting service to rail lines.