SEOUL, KOREA - Uber Technologies Inc., the company behind the smartphone application that connects riders and drivers, marked its one year anniversary in the Korean capital with the launch of a pilot ride-sharing service on Thursday. For the duration of the pilot project, rides will be offered as a free test for riders.
Designed to test the transportation efficiency of a city, ridesharing is the 21st century phenomenon sweeping major cities of the world. Sharing a ride with co-workers, neighbors, friends and family has never been more convenient, now through the use of a mobile app.
Korean citizens are amongst the most technologically advanced in the world. Korea prides itself as a prominent advocate of the sharing economy, where over half of the population has expressed willingness to participate in a sharing economy, and 1 in 5 already support vehicle-sharing. With the convenient, efficient and reliable transportation option that Uber brings to the city, Seoul is a perfect test bed for alleviating traffic congestion and pollution issues.
The pilot marks a significant step forward for Uber in Seoul, where the company has operated its high-end UberBLACK service for the past year. “We are very excited about bringing ride-sharing toSeoul,” said Allen Penn, Uber’s head of Asia. “UberX has become widely known in modern cities as a poster child for the sharing economy. This fills a need for the city of Seoul, where car ownership is high, and residents lack options for a comfortable ride in the midst of daily traffic congestion.”
At the heart of this pilot are the benefits this brings to riders, drivers, and the city - riders enjoy efficiency and comfort in their daily commute, drivers contribute to their community (while the sharing model helps offset high costs of car ownership), and the city moves along smoothly. All this, achieved in seamless Uber-style.
Uber in Seoul
Uber is an innovative and creative economy technology platform that was made possible by the arrival of the smartphone, currently operating in over 175 cities in 44 countries. Uber connects riders to drivers at a tip of a button through the app – allowing riders to enjoy a comfortable, reliable and convenient rides, while qualified local drivers have the opportunity to become entrepreneurs through leveraging their cars for a good cause.
Since its arrival in Seoul last summer, Uber has partnered with registered limousine companies to provide UberBLACK. Driver partners comply with safety regulations and professional requirements, and a robust rider feedback/rating system makes every driver partner responsible for providing the best Uber experience.
