Moneycontrol PRO
Check Credit Score
Check Credit Score
HomeNewsBusinessStartup

Uber may experiment with buses, quadricycles, electric 2-and 3-wheelers in India

The shift coincides with its expansion plan to grow its presence to 50 cities from the current 36 by December-end.

January 17, 2019 / 03:05 PM IST

Uber Technologies said it is experimenting with intra-city buses, quadricycles and electric scooters and auto-rickshaws in India, reports Business Standard.

The shift coincides with its expansion plan to grow its presence to 50 cities from the current 36 by December-end.

Pradeep Parameswaran, President – India & South Asia, Uber, told the newspaper the company will add capacity only if there is demand to absorb it.

“Why we had not gone to many of the cities earlier was because we had limited relevance there. But now we have a diversified portfolio. We will bring about multi-modal transportation options.”

In Trichy, the company offers only auto-rickshaws and no cars, he said, adding that he expects to have more auto-rickshaw riders than cars in Sri Lanka.

The company plans to pilot electric two- and three-wheelers in India, the report said. Globally, the rid-sharing service provider has discovered that one out of four riders, who hire a non-electric two-wheeler, are women. This is prompting it to study the possibility of bring Jump, a two-wheeler EV manufacturer, to India, the report added.

It is also testing extending intra-city bus services to inter-city services (similar to that launched in Egypt and Mexico) in places where cars are only available, the report said.

“We are exploring high capacity 12 or 30-40 seater vehicles. Some of the routes will be fixed but for others we will use technology to have variable routes based on demand," Parameswaran said.

Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day

Moneycontrol News
first published: Jan 17, 2019 03:05 pm

Discover the latest business news, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!

Advisory Alert: It has come to our attention that certain individuals are representing themselves as affiliates of Moneycontrol and soliciting funds on the false promise of assured returns on their investments. We wish to reiterate that Moneycontrol does not solicit funds from investors and neither does it promise any assured returns. In case you are approached by anyone making such claims, please write to us at grievanceofficer@nw18.com or call on 02268882347