Moving Bangalore
Bangalore, the IT hub of India, is home to over eight million residents and an influx of visitors from around the world. With a burgeoning population and a stream of tourists and business travellers, it is essential that people in Bangalore have a multitude of transportation options to get around town.
Twenty months ago, Uber launched in Bangalore with the vision of creating a convenient, reliable and safe transportation option that the city deserves. Mobility is essential to a thriving local economy. With all that Bangalore has to offer, from booming tech parks to innovative startups to the growing number of restaurants and bars, resident and visitors alike are always looking for a way to get around.
And in Bangalore particularly, there is a high degree of travel time variability. Congestion continues to be a challenge in achieving low ETAs in the city. Options like Uber have played a vital role in reducing ETAs and ensuring that everyone has a ride within minutes when needed.
Our average ETAs across Bangalore were down to 8 minutes for uberX in April 2015
Bangalore’s residents have always been future-facing and quick to embrace new technologies and innovations. And many of them have realized that technology is a solution to the problems posed by congestion and density. The pace of adoption in our city has been remarkable, as riders in every part of the city now have another transportation option to connect with the places they need to go.
From the beginning of 2014 to April 2015, we have seen that riders are being dropped off in areas all around the city. With prices as low as ₹7/KM, they’re taking advantage of the affordable, safe, and reliable rides that Uber has to offer.
In addition to quickly connecting residents of Bangalore to all areas of the city, Uber also plays a role in facilitating mobility for global travellers. Whether they’re going to an office building or a restaurant, visitors unfamiliar with Bangalore’s streets can ride in an Uber seamlessly using the same technology they’ve come to love in their hometowns. Visitors from Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East have all used Uber while in Bangalore.
When there are many options in the transportation ecosystem, both businesses and consumers can benefit. Increased mobility and reliable transit leads to an expanded customer base at small businesses across the city, as customers can feel comfortable getting to a venue and leaving it. Patrons of restaurants and shops are not restricted to their neighbourhoods, as they have a convenient option to explore other neighbourhoods and small businesses.
Safety remains the cornerstone of Uber’s efforts in Bangalore, and in all of India. Recently, Uber rolled out two new in-app safety features, and a world-class background check process that will help ensure passenger safety.
People in Bangalore need and deserve choice when it comes to their transportation, and the freedom to move about their city. Uber will not only play an important role in transporting people, but in ensuring reliability, accelerating the local economy, and allowing residents and global visitors to access all that Bangalore has to offer.
Namma Bengaluru, Namma Uber!
Uber On,
Team Uber Bangalore