Photo: Uber
Two months after Uber bought the bike-share startup Jump, the company is announcing that it’s bringing an electric bike-sharing pilot to Europe. Uber Jump will be available in Berlin, Germany by the end of this summer.
The announcement was made by Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi at the NOAH Conference in Berlin and is, no doubt, meant to highlight the company’s focus on greener technology. Uber Jump will help to fight traffic congestion and air pollution, and thus represent the company’s pledge to be an actor of change.
Should the Berlin pilot be a success, Uber Jump will expand to other cities across Europe, The Verge informs. It is already available in Washington D.C., San Francisco and other California cities, with riders having to pay $2 for a 30-minute ride. Prices for the European market have yet to be announced.
“This is potentially a replacement for Uber trips so that we can be bigger than just cars,” Khosrowshahi says. “When you get onto these bikes and you pedal, you feel like Superman. Uber stands ready to help address some of the biggest challenges facing German cities: tackling air pollution, reducing congestion and increasing access to cleaner transportation solutions.”
Though the move seems laudable, Uber is already facing criticism for it. Most European cities already have several bike-sharing services and they’re dealing with a crowding issue. Most riders cause clutter when they leave their bikes unattended or they abandon them in parks. In this sense, Uber Jump wouldn’t be a solution to a problem: it would only add to it.
Then, there’s the bad rap that Uber has in certain European countries, which the company is probably trying to distract from with this new, eco-friendly program. Uber is in danger of losing its license in London after the transport authority has deemed it unfit to run a taxi service. Anti-Uber protests are still happening across Europe, with one taking place just outside the NOAH conference.
As of now, Uber remains undeterred. Uber Jump will be followed by Uber Green, the company’s first electric car service.
Should the Berlin pilot be a success, Uber Jump will expand to other cities across Europe, The Verge informs. It is already available in Washington D.C., San Francisco and other California cities, with riders having to pay $2 for a 30-minute ride. Prices for the European market have yet to be announced.
“This is potentially a replacement for Uber trips so that we can be bigger than just cars,” Khosrowshahi says. “When you get onto these bikes and you pedal, you feel like Superman. Uber stands ready to help address some of the biggest challenges facing German cities: tackling air pollution, reducing congestion and increasing access to cleaner transportation solutions.”
Though the move seems laudable, Uber is already facing criticism for it. Most European cities already have several bike-sharing services and they’re dealing with a crowding issue. Most riders cause clutter when they leave their bikes unattended or they abandon them in parks. In this sense, Uber Jump wouldn’t be a solution to a problem: it would only add to it.
Then, there’s the bad rap that Uber has in certain European countries, which the company is probably trying to distract from with this new, eco-friendly program. Uber is in danger of losing its license in London after the transport authority has deemed it unfit to run a taxi service. Anti-Uber protests are still happening across Europe, with one taking place just outside the NOAH conference.
As of now, Uber remains undeterred. Uber Jump will be followed by Uber Green, the company’s first electric car service.
Google News