Uber hits 5 billion trips milestone

It’s the week of milestones and today it’s Uber’s turn: the company has reached five billion trips.

Uber hit one billion trips in late 2015 — five years after launching — and in less than two years it has quintupled its intake.

On 20 May, 156 riders simultaneously pushed Uber over the milestone, and the company is rewarding each of the drivers with US$500.

5 billion rides, 6 continents, 76 countries—thank you to the riders and drivers who powered this journey. pic.twitter.com/9cFN7YESTX

— Uber (@Uber) June 29, 2017

To put the number into perspective: if one trip was called every second, it would have take 158 years to reach that milestone. The world’s population only reached five billion in 1987.

If Owl City got a thousand hugs from five billion lightning bugs, he’d be receive five trillion hugs.

He’d certainly die.

The good news of the milestone comes at a tumultuous time for the company: ex-CEO Travis Kalanick resigned after having faced months of controversy after controversy. He has yet to be replaced.

Some have taken to Twitter to congratulate the founder.

Congrats to @travisk – Uber has now given FIVE BILLION rides. Huge accomplishment for what launched as an SF limo service 6 yrs ago

— Jack Nolan (@JackENolan) June 30, 2017

Uber hit 5 BILLION total rides. This company has completely transformed how we live our day to day lives. Absolute mind boggling.

— Ryan Morris (@RyanMorris55) June 30, 2017

Another user commented on the fact that Uber has been working at a loss — in the first quarter of 2017 it was sitting at a loss of US$708-million.

Uber crossses 5 billion rides. Still yet to make a single dollar of profit. How long will this lunacy continue?

— Insults as a Service (@BongoBoganLand) June 30, 2017

I guess you could say the good news came in the Kalanick of time.

Featured image: Susanne Nilsson via Flickr (CC 2.0 BY-SA, resized)