Uber has signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of West Bengal to launch ‘Uber Shuttle’ - a bus service in Kolkata, where the ride-sharing app has proposed to invest $10 million in the state by 2025, and create 50,000 livelihood opportunities in Kolkata in five years.
The MoU was signed at the ongoing Bengal Global Business Summit by Dr. Saumitra Mohan, IAS, Secretary, Transport Department., Government of West Bengal, and Shiva Shailendran, Director - Operations, Uber India & South Asia.
With the launch of Uber Shuttle, commuters will now be able to pre-book seats up to a week in advance, follow the live location and route of the bus, and know its expected time of arrival (ETA), just like they can do with an Uber cab. Buses will run on each route from 6 am to 10 pm daily, and each Shuttle vehicle will have a seating capacity of 19 to 50 persons. The buses will be run by local fleet partners using Uber’s technology.
Dr. Saumitra Mohan, IAS, Secretary, Transport Department, Government of West Bengal, said, “The Government of West Bengal remains committed to improving public transport services and expanding available transport options to make commuting hassle-free. Our partnership with Uber is another step in this direction.”
Sharing his views on the launch, Shiva Shailendran, Director - Operations, Uber India & South Asia, said, “This partnership is special as the first partnership of its kind that will bring the magic of Uber rides to buses. In line with Uber’s global sustainability goal, this will help put more people in one vehicle, and help ease traffic congestion and reduce carbon footprint."