“A Small Step Towards Your Phone Replacing Your Car” says Uber’s Dara Khosrowshahi

Ride-hailing firm Uber have reaffirmed their desire to move short city trip customers from the car onto bikes and scooters instead.

It was revealed that Uber are set to use bikes and scooters to replace private hire vehicles for shorter journeys claiming it will help ease congestion and pollution.  

Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement in its website:

“At Uber we believe that having a variety of transportation modes at your fingertips makes it easier to live life without owning a car. So when we first partnered with JUMP to bring their electric bikes into the Uber app in San Francisco, we knew there was potential to take people out of cars and put them onto two wheels, which can be better suited for short trips around the city. We quickly saw that not only were e-bikes popular with early adopters, but some Uber trips, especially during congested times of day, were replaced by JUMP trips.

“That was a powerful signal that we were onto something, and one reason why we’ve made a big bet as a company to move beyond ridesharing. Instead, our aim is to become a one-stop shop for all your transportation and delivery needs, so that your phone can replace your personal car. “We’ve expanded our JUMP bikes to more cities; announced a car rental pilot with Getaround; struck a partnership with transit ticket provider Masabi, and are working to offer scooters—all inside the Uber app. “But as sometimes happens, we moved a bit more quickly than our app could handle! Today, it’s hard to see the other modes of transportation available to you in your Uber app. And if you don’t know all your options, you may not choose the right one for you at that moment. “That’s why we’re excited to introduce Mode Switch, a small but meaningful step toward making Uber your go-to app, whenever you need to get from point A to B. 

“Riders in cities where we offer modes in addition to ridesharing will begin to see this option right on their home screen. 

“While it may seem like a minor tweak, it’s just the beginning. We’ve got more app improvements in store, and in the meantime we hope this change makes it a bit easier for our customers to live their lives without a personal car.”