Uber bets on affordability with shared fixed-route rides, expanded passes
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FILE PHOTO: A photo Illustration shows the Uber application on a mobile phone in in central Paris, France March 5, 2020. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
(Reuters) -Uber Technologies on Wednesday unveiled a range of new offerings such as shared fixed-route rides and expanded membership passes, targeting consumers seeking cost-effective ways to travel.
The ride-sharing app has been looking to invest in more affordable transport and delivery offerings to widen its user base and combat slowing revenue growth in an uncertain economic environment.
Uber's new "Route Share" ride option will cost half as much as the company's UberX ride-hail service, by providing pickups every 20 minutes along busy commute corridors.
Initially available in cities such as New York, San Francisco and Chicago, Route Share will operate during weekday rush hours and Uber is considering partnering with employers to integrate pre-tax commuter benefits.
The company is also expanding ride passes that help users lock-in lower fares and keep costs predictable.
These ride passes will be available in major U.S. cities such as Chicago, Dallas, and San Francisco, and will be expanded to teen accounts later this year.
Uber unveiled Price Lock Pass for $2.99 in February and it was initially available in a few U.S. markets. The feature will now be available across several cities in the United States and expand throughout the country and Brazil this year, the company said.
The company had announced a partnership with Volkswagen to deploy a fleet of thousands of the German automaker's fully electric ID. Buzz AD vehicles as robotaxis next year. The vehicles will also be used for shared self-driving taxi rides.
Uber is also scaling its tie-up with Waymo in Austin, aiming to increase the number of robotaxis to hundreds of vehicles in the coming months.
(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
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