Ride sharing service provider Uber has launched new journey planning feature ‘Public Transport’ in New Delhi, which will integrate Uber App with the city’s Metro and public bus service. With this New Delhi becomes the second Asia Pacific city to get this feature.

The company says that it has been working with transit agencies across the globe for years, building partnerships including with Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to provide paratransit services in Boston, to Nice, France for providing late-night connecting service to rail lines. Uber says it understands that the future of transport is multimodal, and that ridesharing alone can’t help build the smart cities of the future. For this the company is partnering with transit or public transport systems across the globe.

To use the feature Delhiites after entering a destination, they’ll see Public Transport as an option alongside ‘UberGO’, ‘Premier’ and ‘UberPool.’. Upon selecting the public transport feature, riders will be able to see fastest and cheapest routes; real-time schedules; including departure time for public transportation, including Metro and buses and walking directions, to and from nearby Metro stations and bus stops.

The announcement allows commuters to call for a ride at the tap of a button and aims to solve first/last mile connectivity challenges. The feature is rolled out shortly after Uber won a public bid to offer our mobility services across 210 Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) stations. 

Under the partnership Uber also plans to showcase future smart mobility solutions and how public transport can be integrated with its multi-modal vision for urban mobility. It highlights a breadth of first- and last-mile options with organised and dedicated pick-up and drop-off areas to complement public transportation. Services such as UberGO, Pool, Moto, Auto, Bikesharing and the upcoming Uber Bus which it says will highlight the power of Uber’s platform. Additionally, Uber’s Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAV) will benefit differently-abled riders.