Uber launched UberCargo on Thursday, a new service that allows customers to transport goods locally by cargo van. For now the service is only available in Hong Kong. Uber is being squeezed from all sides. In Cape Town is it being banned and elsewhere Uber announced a move to cut down on costs in 48 cities.
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UberCargo is a service that allows customers to transport goods locally by cargo van. The service is targeted at customers who do own their own transport or those who cannot fit their goods in their small car.
In an official blog post Uber states that “Whether you’re going cycling in Dragon’s Back, moving a mattress to a new house, riding with a large pet, or sending items to a friend, UberCARGO is for you. If you own a business, UberCARGO provides an easy way to cover on-demand logistical needs without complicated & costly delivery arrangements”.
The service works no differently to the cab service. The only difference is that a customer ride along with their goods or track them in real-time through the app.
Read more: Cape Town’s new by-laws challenge Uber operations, 33 cars impounded
This is one way to shake off some of the issues Uber’s been facing of late, but it’s also a sign that its goal of disrupting the transportation industry as a whole is on track.
This is not the first attempt at delivery business by Uber. Last August Uber introduced UberMovers, a service Uber offered to college students to help them move out of their dorm rooms. UberRush, a bike messenger courier for delivering small items quickly, was meanwhile implemented in New York. UberEssentials is another service which allows customers to have their groceries delivered to their homes.
Unlike in the transport business in which Uber might have been the first to venture into it, technology companies like Amazon, Google and eBay have already implemented the same day grocery delivery service. And recently a startup called Lugg offers an on-demand moving service for heavy items started in the US.
In the announcement of this service Uber offered a hint at what it will venture into next, everything, “UberCARGO is an Uber Everything experiment focused on making every day city living easier so you have more time to do what matter most”.
The company has not specified when UberCargo would become widely available.
