Update: Reliable Rides Are On The Way

We wanted to update you on the progress that Uber is making toward our goal to provide safe and reliable transportation to all of New Orleans. As you may have noticed, we have not been able to provide the reliable service you have come to expect from Uber. While we have had additional driver partners ready to work and meet the incredible demand we have seen since our launch, the city unfortunately had not issued any new vehicle permits that would allow them to drive.

We are pleased to announce that the city issued 150 new permits today. As these permits get activated over the next several weeks, you will see substantial improvement in the availability of vehicles on the UberBLACK and UberSUV platforms.

While the new permits will provide greater reliability to our luxury product, we continue to hear your desire for a low-cost, reliable product and are working hard to convey that message to the city. Our collective efforts have made an impact. Last week, two different ridesharing bills were introduced in the New Orleans City Council by Councilmembers Jared Brossett and Susan Guidry. We look forward to working with the Council and the Mayor’s office over the next few weeks to craft sensible legislation that creates a permanent home for uberX in New Orleans. We know this is long overdue, and we will need your help in pushing this across the finish line.

These proposals will be considered in a public meeting of the Transportation Committee in the coming weeks, and we expect a final ordinance to pass at the City Council meeting as early as late February. We will keep you posted on ways to get involved and help deliver a victory to the people of New Orleans.

We are also working closely with Jefferson Parish, whose Council introduced similar legislation that we expect to pass on February 11th. We are thrilled to be one step closer to providing seamless, affordable transportation across the entire Greater New Orleans Area.

Thanks as always for your support. Feel free to reach out at supportnola@uber.com should you wish to get in touch.

Uber On,

The Uber NOLA Team