US carsharing company Uber has revealed that they aim to develop an app that is used in place of Opal – confirming conversations with Australian transport agencies.
The global giant revealed its plans to diversify its services to public transport at the annual CES tech show at Las Vegas today, shortly after revealing it’s Uber Elevate air travel prototype model.
‘Uber Transit’ is the app idea that delivers bookings for taxis, buses, train, tram and food delivery – putting them at the forefront of delivery services in Australia.
‘Public transport agencies all want to provide as good a service as possible, but they’re doing so with declining budgets and growing populations. They’re trying to figure out how they can be more cost-efficient with how they’re spending money,’ Uber’s Head of Transit, David Reich told the Australian.
‘We’ll be increasing the pace of launches in 2020.’
Uber Transit will enable users to enter a destination and then see if a public transport option is an available route – operating similarly to the TripGo app.
Reich said the expansion into public transport will provide customers with a cheaper and more convenient way to travel, without having to pay for private transport.
Sydney public transport users can pay for trips using their credit or debit card thanks to changes made late last year – with Melbourne transport users also able to pay using an Android smartphone.
‘This is an important step towards making it possible for people to replace their private car with their mobile phone,’ Uber said in a statement.
NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance also supports the collaboration, saying it provides more options for the public.
‘The journey is no longer about a single mode of transport, it’s about a combination of modes to get to your destination in the most convenient way,’ he said.
By Camilla Theakstone
