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As a part of its commitment during Covid, Uber offered nearly 600,000 free rides worth ₹10 Crore in 2021 to help riders travel to and from vaccination centres and helped over 300,000 drivers receive at least their first dose. In annual year-end report - “2021 in Rear View: A Look Back by Uber,” released on Thursday, the cab aggregator shared its growth snapshot across service verticals in 2021.
Uber’s point-to-point package delivery service -- named Uber Connect--- between friends and families grew 5x in demand during the pandemic. New use cases emerged such as transport of grocery, non-prescription medication, medical devices, and food items. Uber Auto too saw a sharp jump in demand growing 2x in cities like Mumbai and Bhubaneshwar as compared to pre-Covid levels.
Started eight years ago in India, Uber reached 100 cities in 2021 with the launch of its auto and car services in Warangal, Telangana.
Free rides
Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India, and South Asia, said, “During the pandemic, Uber has continually adapted to changing realities to meet the evolving needs of our riders and cities. From helping move what matters in the first few months of the pandemic by transporting healthcare workers and facilitating essential trips for citizens, we moved to support India’s vital vaccination drive this year. Uber helped vaccinate riders and drivers by offering free rides and cash incentives. We are encouraged by the growing demand and rapid recovery across products, especially led by Auto, Moto, Rentals, and Intercity, and we are raring to go as we head into the New Year.”
Uber also supported vulnerable communities and helped around 100,000 elderly and underprivileged get vaccinated by providing free rides for vaccinations to NGOs such as HelpAge India, the Robin Hood Army, and the American India Foundation.
Separately, demand for Uber Rentals went up by 2x as cities started opening up. This was driven by new use-cases including sightseeing, local shopping, visiting places of worship, travelling to family get-togethers and for business meetings.
In turn, there has been a rise in road trips increasing intercity demand. Popular routes saw increased rider demand including Mumbai - Alibaug and Lonavala; Delhi - Agra & Jaipur; Chennai - Puducherry, and Chandigarh - Delhi among the top few.
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