Today in San Francisco, Uber announced the upcoming launch of our first fully-integrated multimodal feature, Uber and Transit – and Sydneysiders will be among the first in the world to experience it. 

Last year, Sydney became the fourth city in the world to have public transport integrated into the Uber app. This allowed Sydneysiders to compare whether an Uber option or public transport was the best option for their journey. 

But with 60% of trips using Uber beginning or ending in areas with limited access to frequent public transport, we wanted to make it easier to get from A to B using not just either public transport or UberX, but with a mix of both. 

Uber and Transit delivers just that. 

Uber and Transit is a new option in the Uber app that considers thousands of permutations to find the best combination of UberX and public transport to get you to your destination. Once the best route is found, you can use Uber to request a trip to the recommended station, all while monitoring real-time transit timetables. It will launch first in Sydney and Chicago later this month. 

Public transport and the Uber app can be a powerful combination. And it’s a credit to the NSW Government’s long term commitment to open data and technology that Sydney is the launch-pad for this new technology. 

NSW Transport and Roads Minister Andrew Constance added: “I am so excited by this development, which means Sydneysiders will be among the first in the world to experience this Uber feature.

“What’s so great about this technology is it allows commuters to look at their best option of getting from A to B.

“It might mean they are better off using a mixture of Uber services and public transport to make their journey more cost effective and time efficient.

“This collaboration is so great, because it will help people make better decisions about getting around our city and as a result help to reduce congestion, which is a win for our transport commuters and a win for our drivers.”

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  At Uber, we want to make it possible for people to replace their private car with their mobile phone. To do that, we need to use technology to help people plan travel in a way that is as, or even more convenient, as taking a private car. 

This also brings us another step closer to increasing occupancy on public transport and thereby reducing road congestion and emissions over time. 

Sydneysiders will begin to see Uber and Transit in the app from the end of this month. We hope to learn from users in Sydney and Chicago before we roll it out across more cities globally.  

Click here to read more about Uber’s global sustainability initiatives, including our commitment to be a fully zero-emission platform by 2040, with 100% of rides taking place in zero-emission vehicles, on public transit, or with micromobility.