Ride-hailing major Uber on Wednesday (November 22) announced the launch of a bus shuttle service in Kolkata for office workers.
By March 2024, Uber Shuttle will have 60 air-conditioned buses on predefined routes, connecting business districts with residential areas of the city, the company said in a statement.
The ride-hailing giant added that it would invest $10 Mn (around INR 83 Cr) in West Bengal by 2025 and create around 50,000 livelihood opportunities over the next five years. Uber has signed an agreement with the state transport department for the bus service during the ongoing Bengal Global Business Summit.
Uber Shuttle is currently operational in Delhi NCR in India. It allows passengers to book seats up to a week in advance, track live location and route and receive real-time ETA, much like the company’s cab service. It also provides cashless payment options, round-the-clock safety support and a comfortable ride with air-conditioned buses running from 6 AM to 10 PM daily, it said.
“This unique partnership will bring the convenience and reliability of Uber rides to buses, contributing to our global sustainability goal of increasing vehicle occupancy, reducing traffic congestion, and lowering carbon emissions,” said Shiva Shailendran, the director of operations at Uber India & South Asia.
“By providing commuters with more transport choices and creating livelihood opportunities for drivers, we are confident that this initiative will set us on a path of collective success,” he added.
Dr Saumitra Mohan, IAS, secretary of the transport department in the West Bengal government, added, “The government of West Bengal remains committed to improving public transport services and expanding available transport options to make commuting hassle-free. Our partnership with Uber is another step in this direction.”
Uber Shuttle will compete with the likes of Cityflo in India.
Uber, which is celebrating its 10th year in India, claims to have enabled 3 Bn+ rides in the country so far, along with providing 800K Indians with a sustainable income via driving for Uber.
However, the company continues to perform poorly in terms of working conditions, with Fairwork India reporting earlier this year that Uber got 1 out of 10 points in terms of minimum standards of fair work provided by the employer.
The company has also been embroiled in several skirmishes in India – from a legal fight with Meru Cabs to issues related to bike taxis and the ban on entry of non-locally registered cabs in Delhi.
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