Maria loves to dance. Every week, she puts on her dancing clothes and heads to a rehearsal space where she spends a few hours with her friends getting active with her friends. Dancing, she says, keeps her mind and body active _ and her heart young. 

 

“Not being able to use my legs is not an excuse to do nothing”, she said. “I’m thankful for the life I have. We should all be”.  

We introduced uberASSIST to Singapore in 2015, allowing seniors and wheelchair users like Maria to move around independently. But we recognise we can do more to serve this valued group of riders.

According to government statistics, over 500,000 Singaporeans are aged 65 and above*. Over 15 percent of Singaporeans have some form of disabilities^. One in 10 persons aged 60 and above is estimated to have dementia.

Most of these valued citizens live at home, and live independent lives. But they may require some assistance in moving about, such as transferring from a wheelchair to a car or a helping hand getting in and out of the vehicle.

This is why we’re excited to introduce an improved version of uberASSIST, in partnership with the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC).

Here are some of the changes:

  • More trained and certified drivers. We’ve increased the number of trained and certified uberASSIST driver-partners to more than 500 from 70 when we first launched. 
  • More training centres. All uberASSIST driver-partners undergo a basic assistance training developed by AIC, and trained by qualified professionals.  They will be able to assist riders with dementia and or required assistive devices to move around, such as helping them getting in and out of the car.
  • Available for everyone. Previously, riders need to unlock the uberASSIST vehicle option with a promo code. Now, uberASSIST is available to everyone through the app. No promo code is required.

“We’re excited to be working closely with Agency for Integrated Care to expand our uberASSIST service to more riders in Singapore and build an inclusive society together. I’m proud that Uber’s technology makes it easier for more individuals, especially those with disabilities and seniors, to ‘press a button and get a ride’. We will continue to innovate and find more ways to make transportation more convenient and reliable for all in Singapore”, said Warren Tseng, General Manager of Uber Singapore and Malaysia.

Dr Jason Cheah, Chief Executive Officer, Agency for Integrated Care added, “We are heartened that seniors who need assistance with transport will have more options with uberASSIST. With support to access care services and continue daily routines, seniors can continue to live and age well at home and in the community.”

How It Works

  1. Enter your destination in the ‘Where to’ section of the Uber app
  2. Scroll right to ‘More’ and tap ‘uberASSIST’
  3. Tap ‘Confirm uberASSIST’ and your ride will be there within minutes.
  4. uberASSIST is priced similar to uberX.  

We’d like to thank our dedicated group of driver-partners for being supportive in helping more people in the community move around independently. We can all play our part in making transportation as convenient as possible for everyone. If you have a family member or friends who would needed mobility assistance, introduce them to uberASSIST today! 

For more information about uberASSIST, visit our FAQ page.