News24 | Uber motorbike rides roll out in 20+ Joburg areas

Uber is expanding the area of operation for its motorbike ride option.

• Uber says its new motorbike ride option is being used thousands of times a week.
• The e-hailing company has expended the geographic area of operation for Uber Moto.
• Uber has also started piloting a ride option in an electric vehicle.
• For more financial news, visit News24 Business.

After a successful pilot, Uber is expanding its option to ride on the back of a motorbike to more than 20 areas in Johannesburg, primarily in the north.

At the start of this year, Uber quietly began piloting a new ride-hailing service, called Uber Moto, in a small part of the Johannesburg CBD.

The ride option offers passenger trips for one person on the back of a motorbike. Uber provides customers with a helmet and a head net. All of Uber’s normal in-app safety features are also active.

Uber said the ride option, which is available in many other countries, would be cheaper than other ride types and help passengers to reach their destination faster by cutting through traffic.

READ | Hold on tight! Uber pilots passenger motorbike rides in Joburg CBD

Uber had been fairly quiet about how the offering was going, but provided an update this week.

On Monday, Uber launched a new ride offering, Uber Go Electric, which will be piloted in and around Rosebank, Johannesburg. Passengers will be able to take rides in the Henrey Mincar four-seater for a similar price to a normal Uber Go.

READ | Uber launching EV rides at similar price to its budget option

Uber also indicated Uber Moto is now being used thousands of times each week in Johannesburg.

In a release, Uber said Moto had grown from a pilot to a “trusted and affordable mobility option, completing thousands of trips each week across a vast area of Johannesburg”.

Cassie Jaganyi, the head of communications at Uber South Africa, told News24 that Uber Moto had expanded its footprint into more than 20 parts of the city.

“Following a successful pilot resulting in thousands of trips each week, Uber Moto has now expanded to over 20 geographic areas across Johannesburg, predominantly in Johannesburg North.

“We continue to grow into areas where riders need quick, affordable transport and where drivers can benefit from consistent earning opportunities,” Jaganyi said.

Earlier this year, News24 entered three random trips into the Uber app in the Uber Moto catchment area. The trips on the motorbike were roughly 50% of the price of an Uber Go for the same trip.