Uber launches low-cost taxi service in Joburg
App-based taxi service Uber has announced it has launched its low-cost option, UberX, in Johannesburg.
As part of its one-year of being in South Africa celebrations, the group is offering free UberX rides from 11h00 on Thursday, 14th August, until 23h00 on Sunday, 17th August.
The free weekend special is valid for six UberX rides per user in Joburg, up to R250 in value each.
Uber launched in South Africa in August 2013, in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and eventually expanded to Durban. UberX launched in Cape Town in June.
“This new service means that you can now enjoy the seamless, efficiency, and industry-leading safety features of Uber at an extremely affordable price,” said GM of Uber Johannesburg, Alon Lits.
UberX offers the Uber service at a lower rate, using vehicles of a lower class.
The typical Uber service – UberBlack – ferries passengers in Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 class vehicles, while the new UberX service uses Toyota Corollas and Avanza class vehicles.
The UberX service also carries lower base fees:
| Base Fare |
Minimum Fare |
Fare per km |
Fare per min |
|
| UberX | R5.00 | R20.00 | R7.50 | R0.75 |
| UberBlack | R15.00 | R50.00 | R11.00 | R1.10 |
A hypothetical trip from Sandton to the Joburg CBD would cost between R195 and R300 using UberX, versus R344-R454 using UberBlack.
A trip from the University of Johannesburg to Newtown would cost between R20-R36 using UberX, versus R53-R66 using UberBlack.
Lits said that a big part of Uber’s local strategy is to promote entrepreneurship and job creation.
“Traditionally, the metered taxi industry is one where drivers are salaried employees working specified shifts, without much freedom or flexibility.”
“We partner with hundreds of independent business owners, who now have the flexibility to work as much and whenever they want. Drivers make far more – and with greater flexibility – than any other option available to them,” he said.
Lits said the company’s vision is that uberX will be so affordable, reliable, and efficient that the need for car ownership in the city will soon become a thing of the past.
“Johannesburg is a world-class African city where innovation thrives, which reflects the demand for Uber’s services here. With more options, riders win, drivers win, and cities win,” he said.
To request a ride, users must download the free application for Android, iPhone, Windows Phones, Blackberry 7, or m.uber.com
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