US-based cab aggregator Uber on Monday launched UberHIRE, a new category that allows its customers to hire a taxi for an entire day. The service, which was piloted in Kochi, has been extended to nine Indian cities, the company said in a statement.
To begin with the service is available only on cash payments. UberHIRE is now live in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, New Delhi and Vizag. It is slated for launch in many other cities in the coming weeks, the company said.
The UberHIRE taxis are available at just R549 for two hours (with a base fare of R199 for the first 40 kms) and R13 per kilometre thereafter. It is available from 6 am to 10 pm only in these cities. Time charges per minute are R3 starting from the first minute. A customer will have to pay R100 as cancellation charge if cancelled after 5 minutes of booking. The service is perfect for business travellers who go on multiple visits, travellers who explore a city and senior citizens who need to make trips punctuated with multiple stopovers, the company said.
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“Our technology makes it possible for us to create specialised solutions that can help users have access to reliable transportation at affordable prices. UberHIRE is one such product that addresses the unique commuting needs of riders in India, especially that of tourists, business travellers, senior citizens, and working professionals by letting them book an Uber and use it for upto 12 hours,” Apurva Dalal, head of engineering, Uber India said.
Ola expands hourly-basis taxi service to 85 cities
Ola, mobile app for transportation, has expanded its ‘Ola Rentals’, an hourly basis taxi service, to 85 cities. It had launched it in select cities last year. In the next phase, it plans to take the service to 100 cities, the company said in a statement. Users have the benefit to choose from 2 hours 30 kms, 4 hours 40 kms, and 8 hours 80 kms for a seamless Ola Rental experience straight from the Ola app, the company said.