~ Mumbai, first city where Uber will tap
the potential of waterways as a transport mode~
~The service will be available to riders
starting February 1~
Uber, the world's largest ridesharing
company, today announced a pilot launch of UberBOAT service in Mumbai, in
partnership with Maharashtra Maritime Board. The on-demand service will provide
transportation from three of the city’s popular coastal routes namely Gateway
of India, Elephanta Islands and Mandwa Jetty, via speed boats. Starting
February 1, riders can access two variants of UberBOAT based on seating
capacity - 6-8 seater for UberBOAT and 10+ seater for UberBOAT XL.
Uber’s vision is
to transform into a multi-modal transportation platform in India. In line with
this, UberBOAT will enable riders in Mumbai to request a speedboat at the tap
of a button through the Uber app, thus making waterway commute in the city
efficient and convenient.
Commenting on the launch of UberBOAT, Prabhjeet Singh, Head of Cities, Uber India & South Asia said, “We are excited to launch UberBOAT in
Mumbai, in partnership with Maharashtra Maritime Board. As pioneers in the
organized on-demand transport system, Uber’s vision is to create a multi-modal
platform to better serve riders and the cities we operate in. With UberBOAT, we
will tap the vast potential of the city’s waterways transport system. We aim to
provide efficient and easily accessible services to riders who are looking at
navigating through these specific routes. With this service, boat operators
will be able to gain access to Uber’s highly engaged rider base and enhance
their earning opportunity.”
Mr. Sanjay Bhatia, Chairman of
the Bombay Port Trust, said, ”Our vision is to make Mumbai as the sea transport and tourism hub
of the country in collaboration with Maharashtra Maritime Board. It is a
pleasure to launch UberBOAT in Mumbai, a step to make the waterway commute more
efficient and convenient. As we continue to reimagine the waterways of Mumbai
through a host of ambitious projects and partnerships, we believe UberBOAT will
play a pivotal role in improving connectivity and will work closely with Uber
to make this pilot a success.”
Mr.
Vikram Kumar, CEO, Maharashtra Maritime Board, said,
"We are delighted to see the first ever and unique initiative by Uber to
launch uberBOAT service in Mumbai. We are confident that this will further
bolster the city’s waterway transport facilities by providing locals/Mumbaikars
as well as tourists a reliable and convenient option to travel between
Gateway of India, Mandwa and Elephanta. Additionally, Maharashtra maritime
board will further strive and work with Uber to create new possibilities
and augment business for local boat operators.”
All UberBOAT rides will be equipped with
best in class safety features including lifejackets, emergency contact details,
printed collaterals along with a manual that highlights safety instructions.
The rides are available at INR 5,700/- for UberBOAT (6-8 seater speed boat) and
INR 9,500/- for BOAT XL (10+ seater speed boat) for all the active routes.
