Uber is debuting its bike service named UberMoto in Bangalore today. It seems that the company is looking to set up an additional revenue stream by offering low-cost two wheeler rides, and further take on Ola’s just launched Micro and other similar low cost commuting services.
UberMoto was launched in Bangkok and Bangalore will be the second city in the world to get this service. Fares from the ride will start from as low as ₹3 per kilometer.
Presumably, Uber is starting this service as Bangalore is suffering from the similar issue of traffic congestion like Bangkok. While the service is being launched in Bangalore on a pilot basis, the company has plans to expand it to other cities of India as well, if the pilot in Bangalore works out well.
As for safety, UberMOTO ride comes with all the standard safety features in place, including live GPS tracking, two-way feedback and the ability to share trip details with family and friends.
Since the rules requires all the motorcycle riders to wear a helmet, UberMOTO driver will have a helmet available for the commuter. Also, it appears that all the drivers will have undergone an extensive screening process which also includes a police background check, to ensure safety of the passengers.
The company will be charging a 20% commission on each ride and will provide the passenger an option to pay with either cash or credit and provide an electronic receipt.
Earlier, Uber had launched its carpooling service in Delhi and Bangalore, just a few weeks before the odd-even experiment. It had also launched a similar experiment in India for auto rickshaw service – UberAuto in April 2015. But, it shut down the service just after 8 months.
India is one of the important market for Uber and the company is doing everything it can to be at the pole position and have an edge against home-grown startup Ola, which yesterday launched a new service called Ola Micro.
However, in this space, Uber will be competing with startups such as Baxi, which operates in Gurgaon, and Rapido in Bengaluru. There are services from N.O.W, Bikxie and M-Taxi, all of which have raised funding. Ola is also rumored to launch a similar service.
