Uber wants to make it just as easy for travellers to rent an e-bike or scooter as it is to hail a car ride through its app.
CNN reports that the ride-sharing company will experiment with listing e-bike and scooter rentals on the app’s home page in Atlanta in San Diego. The initiative could subsequently be expanded nationally, Uber officials say.
Analysts view the move as part of Uber’s desire to be a one-stop transportation hub. Almost half of the rides booked through the app are less than three miles in length, meaning they often could be completed by bike or scooter rather than a car or SUV.
Uber drivers typically prefer to take longer drives, as well.
“If somebody opens the app and maybe historically they would’ve taken a Uber that would’ve gotten stuck in traffic and instead they take a Lime scooter that may get them there faster, that’s really a success for us,” said Billy Guernier, head of new mobility at Uber.
Previously, Uber users would have had to click through a small icon to a secondary screen to book a scooter or bike.