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Not everyone is comfortable using a smartphone app to summon a ride to the grocery store, doctor’s office or to visit friends and family.
With older adults in mind, Uber, the market-leading rideshare company, is rolling out a solution. Uber rides can now be booked by calling a toll-free number instead of using its app, making it easier for those who struggle with the software app or don’t own a smartphone, the company’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi announced at a product event Wednesday.
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Uber conducted months of testing in places where older riders gather and spoke directly with those it expects to use the service.
“Not everyone is comfortable using a phone or an app to call an Uber, like my mother in law,” he said. “And for her we have a product that's incredibly easy to use. It’s 833-USE-UBER.”
Uber has about 75 percent of the rideshare market in the United States, far ahead of chief rival Lyft, which has about a quarter share, according to research from YipitData that CNN Business cited.
Examples of text messages sent after requesting a ride and confirming a trip.
Uber
Customers can dial 833-USE-UBER (873-8237) to speak with an Uber agent in English or Spanish to request or reserve a ride. The service is available 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET nationwide. Once a trip request has been accepted, the rider will receive a text message with the driver’s name, picture, license plate number and estimated time of arrival. A follow-up text message will be sent once the driver arrives at the pickup location. This means that the rides cannot be requested using a landline.
About 1.3 percent of all adults live in households that have a landline phone only, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey spanning July to December 2022. About a quarter have landlines but also access to a cellphone.
If a customer does not have an Uber account, an agent will create one for them. Payment is provided over the phone via credit card. The service comes with a $5 fee when requesting an UberX, the most basic ride option Uber offers. Typically, cars are sedans or SUVs that can seat up to four passengers.
The more expensive ride options don’t have a service fee. This includes UberXL, which guarantees a larger vehicle that can seat up to six passengers. Uber Black matches riders with top-rated drivers in luxury vehicles.
In 2020, Uber conducted a pilot program for 833-USE-UBER in Arizona and Florida. In 2021 Lyft, Uber’s main competitor, introduced a similar service named Call a LyftRide, targeting older adults and those without access to the Lyft app in select cities in Florida.
Lyft did not immediately respond to an AARP inquiry regarding its programs for older adults, caregivers and people with disabilities. About 600,000 older adults stop driving each year, according to USAging, the national association for Area Agencies on Aging. Providing accessible transportation methods allows them to live independent lives longer.
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