Ride-sharing pioneers, Uber, plan to expand its transport options beyond car hire. Uber are in talks with several firms to explore the opportunity of teaming up with Uber. The new partnerships would add further services to the Uber app, giving users the chance to hire everything from e-bikes to public transport.
Uber acquired electric bike rental platform, Jump, on Monday and plans to roll out its services to numerous major cities. Chief Executive, Dara Khosrowshahi, has revealed they are also in discussions with Masabi and Getaround.
Masabi are a London-based mobile ticketing provider for public transport whilst Getaround is a peer-to-peer car rental service. Getaround give car owners the chance to hire out their vehicles when not in use – essentially, they are to cars what Airbnb are to properties.
The long-term vision
Khosrowshahi’s long-term vision is for Uber to become a transport partner of all major cities, working alongside public transport to offer a variety of services geared at reducing congestion and cutting costs of the public’s daily commute.
At an event in Washington on Wednesday, Uber’s Chief Executive, claimed:
“Since I started as CEO I’ve signalled very clearly that I am committed to being true partners to cities for the long term. This partnership will take many forms over time.”
Jump expansion
Jump will continue to operate in Washington but will now be available in 12 additional cities including; Amsterdam, Bangalore, Brisbane, Cairo, Hyderabad, Melbourne, Mumbai, Nairobi, Perth, Pittsburgh and Toronto.
The service will not yet be available in London as Uber’s dispute with Transport for London continues. Khosrowshahi reiterated his belief that Uber can become a city partner and not the disruptive startup they once were.
In a memo to staff, he explained:
“Going forward, it’s critical that we act with integrity in everything we do and learn how to be a better partner to every city we operate in. That doesn’t mean abandoning our principles – we will vigorously appeal TfL’s [Transport for London] decision – but rather building trust through our actions and our behaviour. In doing so, we will show that Uber is not just a really great product, but a really great company that is meaningfully contributing to society, beyond its business and its bottom line.”
Let us know your thoughts on this; are Uber heading in the right direction or should they stick to their niche?
