Uber launches ‘Reserve’ feature

Uber riders will be able to book their trips up to 30 days in advance using a new feature which is being rolled out by the ride-sharing service

The San Fransisco based company will launch its new Uber Reserve service in Australia first with major cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin, Cairns and Geelong set to use the feature from next week.

Uber Head of Rider Operations ANZ Margarita Peker said the feature allowed riders to plan their travel ahead of time.

“After an uncertain couple of years, we know that Australians are excited to get out and make plans that they can rely on,” she said.

The rollout of Uber Reserve comes after trials in New Zealand and Australia

Uber is also working with Meta to launch a ride-booking feature through WhatsApp in India

The US-based company has partnered up with Meta, the recently rebranded parent company of Facebook, to launch a ride booking feature in its WhatsApp service within India.

The integration is set to become the first of its kind for the ride-hailing giant and will allow people to book an Uber ride without having to download the official Uber app.

Everything from user registration and ride-booking to getting a trip receipt will be managed within the WhatsApp chat interface.

The service is being rolled out first in the northern city of Lucknow, and will be expanded to other Indian cities soon according an official statement.