Your Uber has arrived… and now your DOG can come too: Minicab app firm launches new travel service for pets
- Uber has announced plans for a new service which allows customers to book journeys with their pets
- Fares for Uber Pet journeys include a £3.20 surcharge within London and £2 outside of the capital
- Previously, it was at the discretion of drivers whether or not they allowed pets inside their vehicles
- Customers using the new service will now be matched with drivers who are willing to take their pets
Uber has launched a new service allowing passengers to book journeys with their pets.
The minicab firm confirmed the in-app Uber Pet service will be available in the UK from today, following trials in Europe and an already successful rollout in the US.
Fares for Uber Pet journeys include an additional surcharge of £3.20 in London and £2 outside the capital.
Previously, it was at the discretion of drivers whether they allowed passengers to travel with an animal.
Customers who use the in-app option will now be matched with drivers who are eligible and willing to transport them with their pets. Selecting Uber Pet notifies the driver that there will be a pet riding alongside.
The company says the new service is the latest way in which it is aiming to make life more convenient for all users.
Uber Pet is the latest addition to the Uber app, allowing riders to book a ride that will allow their pet to ride in comfort alongside them
The minicab firm confirmed the new in-app service will be available in the UK from today, following trials in Europe
Fares for Uber Pet journeys will include an additional surcharge of £3.20 in London and £2 outside the capital
Andrew Brem, general manager at Uber UK, said: ‘We’re really happy to be launching Uber Pet in the UK, bringing even more convenient travel options to our riders.
‘With Covid-19 restrictions lifted, it’s the perfect time for new pets to get out and about again with you, no matter what your plans.’
The US scheme restricts travelling pets to ‘one small animal such as a dog or a cat’ with any further animals at the driver’s discretion.
Passengers travelling with a service animal such as a guide dog can continue to use the regular Uber option.
But not everyone was thrilled at the prospect of cats and dogs in taxis.
Logfellows on Twitter posted: ‘Fur ends up all over seats and carpets, people have allergies… exception to working dogs [which are] well behaved and you can clean after them.’
Not everyone was thrilled at the prospect of pets in taxis, with one Twitter users commenting about fur on seats and customers with allergies
Uber has announced it will donate £1 from every Uber Pet fare to the charity All Dogs Matter, whose animals were some of the first to enjoy a taxi trip around London on the launch day of the service
Uber customers will now be matched with drivers who are eligible and willing to transport people with their pets
To celebrate the new option, Uber has announced it will donate £1 from every Uber Pet fare to the charity All Dogs Matter, whose animals were some of the first to enjoy a taxi trip around London on the launch day of the service.
The charity’s deputy manager Laura Hedges said: ‘We’re completely thrilled. We’re dog lovers ourselves and now with help from Uber, dog lovers from across the country can travel with their pets without any issue.
‘The pets travel securely and there’s a very transparent agreement in place with the driver. It will particularly help people who don’t have transport themselves to get around with their pets.
‘We’re really happy that Uber chose us as a charity to support. We rely on funding and donations to pay for vets bills and the money will be used to help unwanted and abandoned dogs – of which there has been a surge since lockdown.’
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