After a dry run that started in December, Uber, an app to book private cars, officially launched this afternoon in BGC. It’s a more expensive alternative to taxicabs here in Metro Manila but, according to regional general manager Michael Brown, “it’s cheaper than driving.”
Base fare starts at PHP90, then it’s PHP2.10 per minute or PHP12.92/km.
In actual terms: a colleague paid PHP176 from SM Makati to One McKinley Place in BGC (25th Street cor 2nd Ave) for a lunch time ride with zero traffic.
A taxicab would cost half of that, but there are compelling reasons for taking the more expensive Uber-accredited private: if you have your own car, you won’t need to worry about parking, if you’re used to taking taxicabs, the car rentals from Uber promise faster pick-up time, are cleaner and better maintained, and comes with a polite chauffer who looks professional in a uniform.
Also, there’s no cash involved (the fare will be charged on your credit card). The vehicle types are usually Toyota Camry or Toyota Altis.
Finally, Uber has a no tipping policy.
Because booking an Uber vehicle and paying for it is done directly through the app, you can also use the service to send a car to pick someone up, say, at the airport.
A recent newspaper report in the US, Brown mentions, wrote about Manhattan moms using Uber driver to pick up their kids from school. You can track the progress of the car via a map on your phone.
According to Brown, the demand in Manila for Uber is booming and the number of downloads since December has been a lot higher than expected. When pressed for the exact number of downloads and their fleet of taxicab drivers, he declined to give figures.
What’s more important, he argued, is how fast his app is able to fetch a driver for its users and right now, he claims, the record is within 10 minutes.
That maybe true in the CBD and BGC areas, but not exactly for areas like Binondo, Quezon City or Alabang.
The good news: they are getting bigger everyday.
Uber has been expanding aggressively in the past year, following a US$258 million investment from Google Ventures (among other second wave cash infusions) and the Philippines is just one of its new territories; it launched in Kuala Lumpur before Manila and will be in Shanghai this month.
Uber is popular among celebrities in the US; in the Philippines, Richard Gutierrez is a customer. It is also know for its sometimes over the top marketing gimmicks — like delivering ice creams to wherever you are (worldwide), bouquet deliveries on Valentine’s Day, and even kittens!
We can’t wait what gimmick they’ll come up with for the Manila market.
Download the app via https://uber.com/invite/uberyourownchauffeur. Compatible with iPhone, Android and Blackberry Bold.
