Uber launches e-bike and bicycle trial in India
- Thursday, May 9th, 2019
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Uber has begun a pilot which provides users with the option of selecting to ride e-bikes and bicycles in India. To carry out the trial, which is occurring in Bengaluru, Uber has partnered with Bangalore-based mobility platform Yulu.
The ride-hailing firm, which will soon go public, promotes the service as being a way to lower pollution levels and help people avoid the notorious traffic levels in India’s metropolitan cities. And this promise fits into Yulu’s vision “to reduce traffic congestion by providing a scalable, affordable, efficient and clean solution for the first mile, last mile, and short distance commute”.
“Cities in India are seeing traffic get more clogged by the minute, and these micro-mobility options would go a long way in reducing traffic snarls, saving time for the riders, and reducing carbon emissions,” said Uber’s India team in a blog post. “Add to it the pleasant weather of Bengaluru, and traveling to and from the urban centers and metro stations just got a whole lot faster. Through this tie-up, Uber riders can now book e-bikes and bicycles in just a few taps.”
Yulu, which only launched early last year, was founded by the co-founder of mobile marketing and advertising platform provider InMobi, Amit Gupta. It currently serves Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, and Bhubaneswar. To date, the startup has raised $7m in funding from the likes of Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal, Freshworks co-founder Girish Mathrubootham, Blume Ventures, and 3One4 Capital.