Uber U.K. to offer bus, train, flight, rental car bookings
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Uber Technologies on Wednesday announced expansion plans to include buses, trains, planes and rental cars for its United Kingdom-based app users. File Photo by Will Oliver/EPA-EFE
April 6 (UPI) — Uber Technologies on Wednesday announced expansion plans to include buses, trains, planes and rental cars for its United Kingdom-based app users.
The move for the San Francisco-headquartered tech giant marks the first step in potentially rolling out the program in other countries if it proves successful among U.K. customers.
Uber is available in over 10,000 cities across the globe.
When the updated app is unveiled this year, users will be able to book these travel services straight through Uber, though Uber itself won’t be offering the services.
Instead, the company will integrate its own app with software from other platforms that sell tickets for bus rides, flights, train rides and car rentals.
The United Kingdom, where competitor apps like Bolt and Free Now are also available to travelers, serves as a prime starting location for boosting app usage in Uber’s latest venture.
It is one of the company’s largest markets outside of the United States.
Uber, which offers local services like airport reservations, rides and food delivery, hasn’t unveiled the various partners involved in the program. The company may take a cut of each booking through these partner companies.
Uber plans to announce those partners in the coming months.
Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager for northern and eastern Europe, said in a statement the company hopes to evolve into “a one-stop-shop for all your travel needs,” NBC News reported.
“You have been able to book rides, bikes, boat services and scooters on the Uber app for a number of years, so adding trains and coaches is a natural progression,” Heywood said.
Meanwhile, the U.K. branch of the popular ridesharing app continues to expand its offerings and coverage area for its 3.5 million London users.
On Tuesday, Uber announced that passengers can hail a ride in an electric vehicle to and from anywhere in Greater London.
The cost of the Uber Green service, launched last April, costs the same as an UberX ride and allows drivers to receive 15% more pay per trip, according to a press release.
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