Share trips, pay less

Uber, the world’s largest on-demand ridesharing company, yesterday launched a new service -- UberPOOL-- in Dhaka to mark three years of its operation in Bangladesh.

UberPOOL is a new ridesharing option that allows riders to share, or “pool” ride with others headed in the same direction, and split the cost of the trip.

Ratul Ghosh, head of east India and Bangladesh at Uber, made the announcement at a press briefing in a city hotel.

He said trip fare on UberPOOL can be up to 40 percent lower than the UberX fare for the same distance. “It means cheaper rides for passengers, longer, more-rewarding trips for drivers, and less congestion for cities over time,” he said.

Once a rider made request through the app, he or she will get matched with the most compatible co-riders and driver nearby and the best spot for pickup in under two minutes.

When the ride details are finalised, the app gives the person walking directions and the ETA (expected time of arrival) for pick up so the rider knows when and where to meet the driver.

As one nears the end of the trip, the Uber app will choose a drop off spot, notify, and provide walking directions to the final destination.

Dhaka has very few dedicated places for pick up and drop off passengers. When a reporter asked whether this new service would create traffic congestion, Ratul replied in the negative.

UberPOOL will have dedicated place for passengers with enough space for them and the vehicles, Ratul said, adding that a passenger will not be allowed to get in or out of the vehicle in the middle of the road.

When asked about security concerns, he said UberPOOL is being used in more than half the cities where Uber is available. Mostly, young people use this service. “We will provide necessary trainings to the drivers regarding safety issues,” he added.

UBER IN BANGLADESH

Launched in Dhaka on November 22, 2016, Uber has extended its service in Chattogram and Sylhet. In Dhaka, more than one million people or 8 percent have taken a trip with Uber in the last three months, Ratul said.

The most popular pick up point is the airport while most popular drop off destination is also the airport, followed by Panthapath and Sadarghat.

In 2019, riders from 76 countries have used Uber while visiting Bangladesh and the average wait time in Dhaka is under six minutes.

“Our growth in Bangladesh is very good and beyond our expectation…,” Ratul said.

He, however, declined to give the total number of trips in previous years and the number of drivers affiliated with them.

Asked about their investment and profit, Ratul once again declined to disclose the information. He, however, said Bangladesh is still an investment market for them.

Although 12 ridesharing service providing companies got approval of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, so far only six received enlistment certificates.

The rest, including some top companies like Uber and Pathao, are yet to get certificate due to some technical difficulties.

Asked about it, Ratul said it is an ongoing discussion and not just Uber, other companies are in discussion too. However, their submission had been done and currently they were waiting for official communication, he said.

Asked about complaints of cancellation of trips by drivers, he said they continuously monitor every driver’s cancel rate and block them if they do so repeatedly.

Replying to another question about charging high during pick hours, he said they applied “dynamic pricing” in fixing fares.

When a reporter asked him about banning of Uber in London recently due to shortcomings, he said, “I don’t have full information about it… what I know is that it is an ongoing discussion.”

At yesterday’s event, Uber also recognised four drivers for their outstanding performances.