Ride-hailing titan Uber has big dreams and they surpass cars and delivery. On Wednesday the company announced plans to add trains, buses, planes and car rentals to its UK app this year. In essence, the company is looking at becoming a travel super app. The company could expand this to other countries across the world if all goes well with its plans to add the aforementioned services.
Here’s the thing, Uber will not be providing these services itself. Instead, it will allow its users to book these travel services via its app powered by software integrations with platforms that sell tickets. What this means is if I were to buy a flight ticket to London, I could do it from my Uber app and even go ahead to book a train for my next travel using the Uber app.
Uber says it will be announcing its partners in the imminent months and it may be looking to charge a commission from each booking.
According to Uber, integrating its platform with others will help to boost the usage of its app by users in the UK who now have alternative ride-hailing options like Bolt and Free Now. The UK remains one of Uber’s largest markets, imagine what increased app usage could mean for Uber.
Regional General Manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, Jamie Heywood, said in a statement that the company hopes to become the one-stop app for all the travel needs of people in the UK. “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,” he said.
“Later this year we plan to incorporate flights, and in the future hotels, by integrating leading partners into the Uber app to create a seamless door-to-door travel experience,” he also added.
Uber’s plans include allowing people to purchase Eurostar train tickets via its app. Eurostar allows people to travel from London to Paris and other cities via the Channel Tunnel.
The latest announcement follows after Uber secured a 30-month license to continue operating in London following battles with regulators.
Paul Balo is the founder of TechBooky and a highly skilled wireless communications professional with a strong background in cloud computing, offering extensive experience in designing, implementing, and managing wireless communication systems.
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