Uber is rolling out concurrent rides in India, a characteristic that enables customers to e book as much as three journeys for any of their contacts, TechCrunch has solely discovered and confirmed with the corporate.
The concurrent rides characteristic is the most recent instance of Uber creating merchandise that can seize extra clients, together with those that don’t have the app or perhaps a smartphone. In India, Uber even permits concurrent journey customers to pay drivers straight with money or by way of the app.
Uber quietly launched the concurrent rides final yr in a number of international markets, together with the USA. An Uber spokesperson confirmed the brand new characteristic is now obtainable in India and can be rolled out within the nation in a phased method. The spokesperson wouldn’t affirm the precise particulars of the cities during which it’s at the moment obtainable.
“As we perceive that one might must e book a journey for his or her cherished one similtaneously they’re in an Uber — we launched concurrent rides late final yr globally. It permits riders to e book and observe as much as three concurrent rides,” an Uber spokesperson mentioned in a press release shared with TechCrunch.
As soon as a consumer books a journey for a visitor, these journey particulars might be shared over WhatsApp or a textual content message. The message accommodates the motive force’s full identify, cab mannequin and registration quantity, Uber’s contact quantity to achieve the motive force, a hyperlink to trace the journey, and a four-digit PIN to begin the journey. This eliminates the necessity for friends to make use of the Uber app.
The brand new characteristic may assist Uber develop its market attain. Earlier than the replace, Uber was permitting just one journey reserving at a time, and customers needed to request one other automobile after their present journey ends. It additionally pushes Uber forward of rivals that had been already providing clients to the power to e book concurrent rides.
Uber’s Indian competitor, Ola, which counts Softbank, Warburg Pincus and DST International amongst its key buyers, has allowed two concurrent rides for a while. Nevertheless, the expertise provided by Ola is proscribed because it doesn’t enable customers to make two bookings concurrently utilizing a single on-line cost methodology. It’s good to both select two totally different on-line cost strategies or pay in your concurrent rides by way of money.
