Free Rides to Celebrate Our Millionth Trip

Today we are proud to be celebrating our 1 millionth trip in New Zealand, an incredible reflection of the way Kiwis have embraced the availability of safe, reliable and affordable rides at the touch of a button.

To celebrate reaching 1 million rides, we’re offering everyone the chance to ride with Uber for free. Simply enter the promo code 1MILLIONNZ and between 6am-8pm tomorrow we’ll give you two free rides worth up to $20.

With this milestone, we wanted to look back at the local impact Uber has had in New Zealand. We took a look at the data, and crunched some numbers.

We found that by providing access to safe and reliable transport to anyone, anywhere, at anytime, Uber has helped make Auckland and Wellington safer, more economically vibrant, and more connected places to live.

Over the past 18 months we’ve also made point-to-point transport more accessible and affordable for more Kiwis, with the average fare up to 30% cheaper than comparable forms of transport. To date this has saved New Zealanders nearly $4 million.

By making transport more affordable and reliable we have seen more New Zealanders use Uber as an alternative to drunk driving, with our data showing that many rides are requested late at night, around the times bars and clubs close.

In fact over the past 18 months Uber driver-partners have helped make our streets safer, picking up nearly 120,000 groups from Auckland and Wellington streets on Friday and Saturday nights between midnight and 4am.

uberX has created 1,500 jobs in New Zealand and hundreds more partners are signing up every month. What’s better, we’ve created hundreds of jobs for partners from areas of high unemployment.  In fact, in Auckland more than 20% of partners come from postcodes where the unemployment rate is above 7.5%.

Uber has changed the way people earn a living, giving Kiwis the chance to choose when they work, set their own schedules, and make decisions about their hours that fit into other work or family commitments. Partners like George and Woody who became Uber driver-partners for the opportunity to be their own boss and supplement their existing income.

“I’m 64 now and while I was thinking about retiring, I also wanted to make the most of my strengths, being affable and helpful – not leaving people stranded. I also like to always go places and explore new things and share those experiences with others, so Uber is perfect.

I have just come out of a triple bypass, so I drive mainly part time. It’s not just about the money, but about the pleasure of meeting people, and making sure they have a wonderful experience when they are with me.” – George, Auckland

“The best part about my job is the fact that I am running my own business. I can pick and choose the hours I want to work and it also allows me to make some great money.

I also love meeting new people, so driving provides me the opportunity to do just that. Everyone has a story to tell and for some reason people decide to tell their drivers. I think the most important thing is that it is really fun to drive with Uber.” – Woody, Wellington