How Uber is preparing for the Paris Olympics rush

Uber Technologies unveiled a raft of measures on Wednesday, including a tie-up to offer cruises on the Seine river as it looks to meet explosive demand stemming from the upcoming Olympics in Paris.

The ride-hailing platform will offer its “Uber Cruises” free of charge from July 12 to August 3, and customers can also book a day trip that includes a champagne tasting through its “Uber Bubbles” launch.

Uber also plans to make a “significant” investment in driver incentives and discounts for riders. The company did not disclose the amount it is investing in these initiatives.

Why it’s important

More than 15 million visitors are expected to arrive in Paris this summer — a 30% increase from previous years — straining public transport networks, the company said.

It expects a record 40,000 drivers to provide rides on its platform during the Olympics.

Uber has also been attempting to capture cost-conscious customers through lower priced offerings.

While dynamic pricing will be used during the Olympics, Uber will offer rider promotions at key locations such as airports and Parisian train stations, where it expects nearly one million people to travel with Uber.

Uber provides drivers with “promotions” such as extra pay for completed trips that begin in specific areas, within a specific time window.

Key quote

The company said its “app has also been approved for use throughout Paris, with the Préfecture de Police granting Uber drivers access to the most restricted areas of the city.”

Context

Uber’s efforts in Paris will include continuously updated maps and routing in the driver app to highlight zone restrictions and road closures as well as dedicated in-app drop off and pick up zones.

It is also adding more than 130 new Uber Access vehicles to its platform.

—Arsheeya Bajwa, Reuters

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