The San Francisco-based ride-hailing company, Uber is trying to expand its service as it readies to start an air-conditioned bus service in India. After piloting its bus service in Latin America and the Middle East, San Francisco-based Uber is now looking at India.
Uber bus will work as the company’s growth strategy in the country.
We are in the process of building the product and refining that. There are pilots that are living in parts of Latin America and the Middle East. So they are the archetype of markets that would look like India – Pradeep Parameswaran, Uber India, and South Asia head
Uber bus will work similarly like booking a cab. It will allow users to use the Uber app and reserve their seat on an air-conditioned bus. Uber will scan other passengers traveling in the same direction as the rider, and hence reaching the destination with fewer stops. Uber will run air-conditioned buses on pre-identified routes with heavy commuter traffic, focussing on business centers and educational campuses in mind.
Other competitors like Shuttl, operated by Gurugram-based Super Highway Labs, raised Rs 41 crores from a group of investors led by Proof.VC as part of its Series B funding in April. However, Uber managed to capture market share by shelling out huge discounts on rides early on that got the Indian commuter hooked. The ride-hailing app is trying to launch its new service by mid-2020.
