Uber Adding Bus, Train And Flight Bookings To App In The UK

Ride-hailing platform Uber is adding trains, buses, planes and car rentals to its UK app this year.

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New Delhi: Ride-hailing platform Uber is adding trains, buses, planes and car rentals to its UK app this year. The move is part of a pilot that could be expanded to other countries at a later date if it goes well, reports CNBC. While Uber will not provide these travel services itself, it will allow users to book them through its app following software integrations with platforms that sell tickets.

The tech giant, which may take a cut on each booking, said it plans to announce various partners in the coming months. Uber said the integrations will help to boost app usage among its users in the UK, who also have the choice of using apps like Bolt and Free Now.

The UK is one of Uber's largest markets outside the US. Jamie Heywood, Uber's boss in the UK, said in a statement that Uber hopes to become "a one-stop-shop for all your travel needs". "You have been able to book rides, bikes, boat services and scooters on the Uber app for a number of years, so adding trains and coaches is a natural progression," he said.

Meanwhile, the ride-hailing company has recently secured a 30-month license to continue operating in London, ending a protracted battle with city regulators over whether the ride-hailing app was "fit and proper".

"Uber has been granted a London private hire vehicle operator's license for a period of two and a half years," a Transport for London spokesperson said was quoted as saying in a statement by Engadget. The move ends a years-long spat with the agency, which twice revoked Uber's London license -- once in 2017, and a second time in 2019.

Authorities were concerned about the company's ability to keep passengers safe. Uber subsequently won an 18-month London permit in court, the report said. Uber has sought to turn on the charm over the years, adding new safety features to its platform and striking a deal with Britain's GMB to formally recognise the labor union for its private hire drivers.

The company reclassified all its UK drivers as workers last year after the country's top court ruled a group of drivers should be treated as workers instead of independent contractors, entitling them to employment protections like a minimum wage, holiday pay and pensions.