logo
Uber to roll out ride-sharing across UK in ‘game-changer' for affordable travel

Uber to roll out ride-sharing across UK in ‘game-changer' for affordable travel

Glasgow Times15-05-2025

The ride-hailing app company described the expansion of its UberX Share service as 'a game-changer for affordable, sustainable travel'.
The option will be available in all major UK locations served by Uber except London by the end of June.
It will not be introduced in the capital until later this year because of 'differing local regulations', the company said.
UberX Share has been popular with people making leisure trips at night and commuters during a trial running in Bristol since November 2024, Uber said.
The service enables passengers to share cars with other users travelling in the same direction, in return for a cost reduction of up to 20%.
Uber said it is designed to add no more than an average of eight minutes to journeys.
The company added that pairing up passengers aligns with its 'efforts to reduce congestion and emissions in urban areas', as sharing journeys means 'fewer cars are needed to complete trips'.
Uber's UK general manager Andrew Brem said: 'UberX Share is a game-changer for affordable, sustainable travel in the UK.
'This service not only helps riders save money, but also reduces the number of vehicles on the road, cutting emissions and helping ease congestion in our towns and cities.'
Uber previously offered journey sharing in London under a service named UberPool, but this was suspended in March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Uber helicopter launched in Italy to help tourists avoid crowds
Uber helicopter launched in Italy to help tourists avoid crowds

The Independent

timea day ago

  • The Independent

Uber helicopter launched in Italy to help tourists avoid crowds

Uber will offer Helicopter and boat services in Italy this summer to help travellers avoid crowds. From July 26 to August 23, Uber Copter will operate between Sorrento and Capri every Saturday and Sunday, costing €250 per person, including door-to-door transportation to and from the helipad. Uber Boat will also launch in Italy, offering private charters for up to 12 people from Sorrento Marina on Italian Gozzo 35 boats, including a personal skipper and complimentary refreshments. The Amalfi Coast is expected to be very busy this summer due to the launch of international flights at Salerno Airport, leading to potential traffic and ferry congestion. Anabel Diaz, VP at Uber, stated that these new services aim to provide unforgettable travel experiences by land, sea, or air, responding to increased demand for Uber 's mobility services in Italy.

Uber brings helicopter taxis to the Amalfi Coast
Uber brings helicopter taxis to the Amalfi Coast

The Independent

timea day ago

  • The Independent

Uber brings helicopter taxis to the Amalfi Coast

Uber has announced that customers will be able to book helicopters in minutes in Italy this summer to beat crowds. From 26 July to 23 August, travellers on Italy's Amalfi Coast can reserve a private Uber Copter to take them between Sorrento and Capri using the Uber app for €250 (around £184) per head. The dual-pilot helicopter service will operate every Saturday and Sunday with a 9am departure from Sorrento and 5pm return from Capri. The journey includes door-to-door transportation to and from the helipad and is available for groups of up to six passengers. The American transport company, best known for its taxis, is also launching the Uber Boat in Italy with private charters for up to 12 people available between 26 July until 24 August. Travellers will sail from Sorrento Marina on Italian Gozzo 35 boats, with ample opportunity to soak in the coastline's most breathtaking spots on the four-hour trip. Each trip comes with its own personal skipper and complimentary snacks and beverages. This summer is set to be the southern coastline's busiest on record following the launch of international flights at Salerno Airport. The Amalfi Coast, famed for its pastel-coloured fishing villages and excellent food, is one of Italy's most popular tourist spots, attracting around five million tourists a year. Very narrow roads link the most popular towns on the coastline meaning travellers face traffic bottlenecks and competition over seasonal ferries. Uber said it is responding to the rise in demand from international customers for Uber's mobility services, which increased by up to 25 per cent last summer in places like Rome, Lake Como and the Amalfi Coast. It added that more than 400,000 international customers used the Uber app in Italy during the holiday period in 2024. Anabel Diaz, vice president, EMEA Mobility at Uber, said: 'At Uber, we strive to help our customers go anywhere, wherever they are travelling. Italy is fast becoming one of our most popular tourist destinations, with travellers turning to the Uber app to help make their holiday travel stress-free. This summer, we're adding a series of unforgettable experiences that will make travelling by land, sea or air more magical than ever before.' Customers are required to book at least 48 in advance via the Uber Reserve from anywhere in Italy beginning on 25 June for both the Uber Copter and Uber Boat. The availability of Uber Copter and Uber Boat is expected to be limited and subject to weather conditions.

Will Gemini Trains leave the station any time soon?
Will Gemini Trains leave the station any time soon?

The Independent

time2 days ago

  • The Independent

Will Gemini Trains leave the station any time soon?

Q Do you think the new Gemini services from London to Paris will actually happen? Rebecca H A Gemini Trains is one of several contenders aiming to compete with Eurostar, the incumbent operator from London St Pancras International to Paris, Brussels and the Netherlands. Eurostar has had the lucrative cross-Channel passenger train market to itself since the Channel Tunnel opened in 1994. The start-up plans to purchase 10 new trains for the service and promises 'competitive fares on comfortable, high-quality and frequent train services between the UK and continental Europe'. If it is permitted to launch trains through the Channel Tunnel, services will not start from the terminal at St Pancras – but six miles down the track at Stratford International. Stratford is served by the Elizabeth Line from central London, Heathrow airport and Reading. Two Underground lines – the Central and Jubilee – provide other connections, as does the London Overground, Greater Anglia and the Docklands Light Railway. Regrettably, it is a 10-minute walk from Stratford's main station to the International station, but perhaps some kind of shuttle will be provided. Gemini Trains will also call at Ebbsfleet, the north Kent station mothballed by Eurostar since Covid and Brexit. Gemini's chances of success improved sharply when the transport tech giant Uber said it would go into partnership. Services from Stratford to Paris Nord and Brussels Midi could begin by 2030 – which might look an age away, but in international rail terms is relatively swift. One big concern is stabling for the trains; Temple Mills depot is close to full just with Eurostar trains. As well as Gemini Trains, Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Italy's state railway operator FS Italiane Group are hoping to start services from London to Paris. I expect at least one of them to launch – hopefully, all three will do so. The High Speed 1 line and the Channel Tunnel are both running at about half their capacity, and the traveller deserves better. Q You have been writing about fare dodging and the complexity of rail fares. Perhaps a small number of exceptionally quiet off-peak services could be free? That would allow legitimate travel for those who can't afford to travel at convenient times. Peter C A Your idea is well worth an airing. Fresh thinking about public transport is much needed. As a frequent rail passenger across the UK, I always feel despondent when boarding (for example) an early afternoon midweek train and find I am virtually the only passenger in a carriage built for 70 or 80: what a waste of safe, swift capacity. Could it not be used to transport people who are currently not paying? This would provide much-needed mobility, and possibly tempt motorists to switch to the train. Well, I have modelled what might happen if, for example, the 1.18pm Greater Anglia service on a Wednesday from London Liverpool Street to Clacton in Essex was declared free. This is one of many such trains that are almost certain to be lightly loaded. It stops nine times along the way to the resort at the end of the line, including Chelmsford and Colchester. I predict that most passengers who would normally travel around lunchtime on trains to those cities would switch to the free option. In addition, people whose final destination is Ipswich or Norwich would take the opportunity to cut the cost of their journey. They would avail of the free train and pay only for the segment onwards from Colchester. They would change trains and wait for the next express to Suffolk and Norfolk, which would become extremely crowded with people who had the same plan. Moving motorists to trains is a noble ambition, but I must point out that Luxembourg introduced nationwide free travel five years ago, and traffic congestion is still terrible. Perhaps, though, I can finesse your concept by recommending a heavily discounted fare – perhaps £5 compared with a typical price of £20. That is pitched temptingly low for people who currently travel ticketless to conclude fare dodging is not worth the risk – but not quite so cheap that mayhem breaks out on Greater Anglia as existing passengers converge on a bargain train. The train operator will soon come under UK government control – a good moment to test the concept. Q I read your article about easyJet passengers spending 23 hours travelling from Palma to Liverpool. Two things intrigued me: is it normal for a person whose condition causes a diversion to be allowed back on the flight? And will the passengers be due any compensation? Jenny R A An easyJet plane from Mallorca to Merseyside was at 38,000 feet over southwest France shortly after midnight on Wednesday when crew were alerted to a male passenger experiencing a health issue. The pilots decided to divert, turned around and landed half an hour later at Bordeaux airport. Paramedics attended the aircraft. The passenger, who was able to walk off the aircraft, was taken to a local hospital for a check-up. While that was happening, the normal procedure would be for the plane to refuel and continue its journey. But no fuel was available due to the late hour, and the flight could not continue. As a result, everyone was offloaded. Passengers had to spend almost all of the next day in Bordeaux as a new crew was found for the flight. Happily, the gentleman who was unwell on the original flight was also on board after undergoing checks and being passed as fit to fly. So there was no reason for him not to fly home with everyone else (including the original crew, who travelled back as passengers). This is far from normal. In almost all other cases, one or both of the following happens: the medical condition is serious enough to warrant extended medical treatment, or the flight is able to continue once the passenger (and their baggage) have left the aircraft. It is clear that easyJet was dealt a difficult hand, with almost all hotels in the area full. Some passengers had to spend the night – and much of the following day – at the airport. Under air passengers' rights rules, no one is entitled to any cash compensation. Unlike 'delay repay' on the railways, the deciding factor for a payout is whether the airline was at fault. When the pilots divert due to concern for a passenger's health, that is classed as an 'exceptional circumstance' and easyJet is excused from paying compensation. Q We will be visiting our daughter in Australia this November and will spend some time in Adelaide en route. We would also like to visit Kangaroo Island. Is this doable on a day trip or would you recommend a stay on the island? Chris B A Kangaroo Island lies west of Cape Jervis in South Australia, which itself is about 100km (62 miles) southwest of the state capital, Adelaide. It is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Islands in the Northern Territory – and bigger than some sizeable English counties, such as Kent and Cornwall. Yet if you want simply to see some highlights, there are plenty of tours that will take you there for the day. They mostly involve the ferry from Cape Jervis – a 45-minute voyage to Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island. Three main island attractions are on the western half of the south coast: sea lions frolicking at Seal Bay Conservation Park; the weirdly sculpted Remarkable Rocks on the edge of the Southern Ocean; and the boardwalk descent towards another natural feature, Admirals Arch, at Kangaroo Island's version of Land's End. The other essential: Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, plumb in the middle of the island, where you can see the island's distinctive kangaroos – shorter, stockier and darker than the mainland marsupials. If time and money are not on your side, go for the Sealink one-day trip from Adelaide, costing $227 (£109). While it is a long day – 16 hours – you will get a sense of the island. Ideally, though, make it a longer adventure: three days with a rental car from Adelaide. This will allow you to pause and enjoy the scenery of the Fleurieu Peninsula along the way rather than racing through to Cape Jervis. More importantly, it will give you time to appreciate the island in more depth. In particular, you should sample at least a few hours of the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail. The stretch of this trans-island path running east from the Southern Ocean Lodge is particularly rewarding for both coastal views and inland nature. If you plan to splash out at any time during your Australian trip, and have an industrial-strength credit card, consider staying there for two nights (the minimum stay) – for around £3,500.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store