Uber allows Indians to schedule rides ahead of time

3 days ago | Published by : Avinash Nandakumar

NewDelhi,Sept24:Uber has made a change to its core model of instant cab booking in India. Now, it will allow you to schedule a ride ahead of time.

The ride-sharing service has gone the old school way where many of the early taxi booking apps allowed you to schedule a ride. Uber users can now book a ride 15 minutes ahead of time or even up to 30 days in advance.

This feature enables riders to not have to wait for their taxi to arrive after instant booking.

Uber is rolling out advanced scheduling in over 20 cities in India. As of now, the feature will be available only for UberGo and Uber X services.

The app user can select the UberGo or Uber X option and tap “Schedule a ride” to set the desired date and time, location, and destination. Uber will send a reminder to the user 24 hours and 30 minutes prior to the ride.

“Uber’s objective to offer accessible and reliable rides goes a notch further with the introduction of ‘Schedule a Ride’ feature,” Amit Jain, the head of Uber India said in a statement. “Riders can use this feature to book a ride from 15 mins to 30 days in advance. For our driver-partners, it minimises idle time and for riders, it is an additional comfort of knowing your Uber will be there when it’s time to head out.”

The company is rolling out the facility for business clients as well, where hotels, movie halls, and other companies can schedule a pick-up for their customers.

Ola, Uber’s primary competitor in India, has been providing scheduled riding options since its inception. Other cab providers in India such as Meru and Tab cab also take advance bookings.

Meanwhile, Uber has started its self-driving cab fleet in Pittsburgh. The riders will be able to see if a self-driving car is available and book it. The normal Uber X fares will apply. The company will be sending a safety driver with it to handle emergency situations.

Tags: #ahead, #Indians, #of, #ride, #Schedule, #time, #Uber