Smaller vehicles available at cheaper rates to round out car-hailing company’s high-end offerings
LAI YING-KIT
YINGKIT.LAI@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Friday, 04 December, 2015, 11:00am
UPDATED : Friday, 04 December, 2015, 12:03pm
An Uber office in Cheung Sha Wan. Photo: Edward Wong
Car-hailing mobile app Uber is launching a new service today in the city to appeal to the budget-minded market.
The new uberX features smaller car models such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Jazz at a more affordable rate compared with the company’s existing UberBlack line.
The new uberX features smaller car models such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Jazz at a more affordable rate compared with the company’s existing UberBlack line.
The base fare for a ride on uberX is to be HK$10. An additional fee of HK$6 will be charged for each kilometre travelled and HK$1 for each minute of waiting while in transit. The new service has a minimum charge of HK$30.
READ MORE: Uber launches taxi-hailing button for third-party apps
The rates for UberBlack, which features high-end car models such as the Tesla Model S, Tesla Model S, Mercedes S/E Class and Toyota Alphard, are adjusted as of today as well.
The charge for each minute of waiting in transit is reduced to HK$1 from HK$1.5, but the charge for each kilometre travelled is increased from HK$6 to HK$8, in addition to its base fare, which is to remain at HK$25. The minimum charge is also to be raised from HK$40 to HK$50.
The rates for UberBlack, which features high-end car models such as the Tesla Model S, Tesla Model S, Mercedes S/E Class and Toyota Alphard, are adjusted as of today as well.
READ MORE: Hong Kong’s beleaguered taxi drivers form coalition to launch app to head off Uber threat
Uber said its new service was a response to the need for a more affordable way to travel using its app.
The new service came in the wake of a plan by locally licensed taxi drivers’ groups to develop their own car-hailing mobile app to compete with Uber and similar car-hailing services.
Uber has drawn controversy in the city. In August, police raided an office of the company as part of a crackdown on unlicensed transport services.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1886696/uber-launches-service-aimed-hong-kongs-budget-travellers
