After Car Rentals, Uber is launching Auto Rentals to provide a personalised rider experience
Uber today became the first ride sharing company in India to launch an on demand 24×7 ‘Auto Rentals’ service allowing riders to book an auto and its driver for several hours with the liberty to make multiple stops along a journey, just as they would with their own personal vehicle. The service enters Pune and is available in 5 other cities across the country including Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi NCR.
With Autos being the preferred mode of transport for millions of Indians, Uber hopes to enhance rider experience by offering mobility solutions that fit the needs of citizens as they resume travel in the new normal. Auto Rentals will provide riders a personalised experience with greater flexibility and convenience in situations where they need to run many errands or make several stops without having to worry about booking multiple trips. The service allows riders to do more by the hour at an affordable price point of INR 159 for a one-hour/ ten km package with the option of selecting from multiple hourly packages that can be booked up to a maximum of 8 hours.
Commenting on 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.”
To help riders and drivers feel safe and comfortable, Uber has 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.