Only in China
Uber users in China can soon request a ride (to work?) in hot air balloons
Announced at Tech Crunch Shanghai on Monday, the move is part of the company’s new
‘Uber + Travel’ service which also includes ride requests for boats and helicopters.
Facing strong competition from rival firm Didi, Uber has made it clear that China is a major market for ride-hailing services…… and hot air balloon rides. Didi currently has a 90% share of the car-hailing market in China. Apple invested $1 Billion in the firm just last month.
The new service could put Uber China in a stronger position to compete for users.
“This reminds us that Uber is a global service serving global citizens,” Uber China Vice President of Operations Kate Wang told Tech Crunch. “It is rooted in each of the cities.”
Uber wants to be a one-stop app that offers consumers rides, food and entertainment. With
Uber + Travel, the idea is to connect travelers to everything they need while travelling.
Imagine the same service in Singapore, riding to town in an Uber car, then hopping on to a boat to cruise down the Singapore River and then floating pass our beautiful skyline on a hot-air balloon (one can only hope, although regulations in Singapore might prove otherwise).
One thing’s sure, watch out for exciting new features from Uber as they move beyond car-hailing.
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