Uber will now show public transit options in its app

Increasing feasibility for its customers, ride-hailing service Uber is now integrating public transportation in its app, which is not a part of Uber cars, but will show public transport options available along with estimated prices.

Uber has brought in a new feature for its Denver customers where they will be able to see a tiny train car icon labeled ‘transit’, located on top of the usual ride-hailing options. On tapping the option, there will be a list of bus or train routes accompanied with their expected fare rates, end-to-end directions, and real-time departure and arrival times.

This feature will enable people searching for a tide to also see what public transportation option are nearby in real-time with price expectations and timings, thanks to transit-data firm Moovit. in a few weeks, the firm also plans to enable users to even buy train tickets from within Uber app, all because of partnership with mobile ticketing firm Masabi.

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Similar to Google Maps, after entering a starting point and destination, the app will display what transit lines are nearby, when the next bus or train arrives, and how far would a person have to walk at the beginning or the end of the trip, explained Engadget.

The aim for this feature is to discourage people from using their personal vehicle by offering more transportation options, whether it’s a bike, a scooter, or now, a bus or train. The move marks as the first example of Uber’s year-long effort to integrate public transportation options into its app, reported The Verge. Uber plans to integrate the same feature for customers in other cities too.

“We should prepare transit for the future, and make it the most competitive way to get around, because that’s what we want to see,” says Andrew Salzberg, Uber’s head of transportation policy and research. “We’re so confident that transit is in fact the best way to get around in many cities that we want to put it in our app as a rider proposition.”