Uber Users Can Pre-Book Shikara Rides On Dal Lake Now

Ride-hailing major Uber has launched a new service to allow tourists to pre-book Shikara rides on Srinagar’s Dal Lake via its app. 

With the limited-period initiative, called Uber Shikara, the company is trying to simplify travel planning for visitors during the holiday season and support local Shikara operators in Jammu & Kashmir.

The service will allow users to book rides up to 15 days in advance for a one-hour journey accommodating up to four passengers. 

To further support the Shikara operators, Uber has also waived its service fee for these rides.

Prabhjeet Singh, president of Uber India & South Asia, said, “Uber Shikara is our humble attempt to blend technology and tradition to give a seamless experience to travellers for their Shikara ride. We are proud to create this iconic experience enhancing accessibility and uplifting tourism in the breathtaking landscape of Kashmir.”

This comes days after the ride-hailing giant launched a paid membership programme ‘Uber One’ that allows users to earn credits of up to 10% on two-wheeler, three-wheeler and four-wheeler rides.

Last month, Uber India also introduced a women rider preference in the app, with the aim to prioritise women’s safety. Further, Uber now allows driver partners to now cash out earnings instantly.

In September, the company partnered with IPO-bound Shadowfax to integrate the logistics company’s two-wheeler fleet with its UberMoto bike taxi offering.

It was also reported earlier that the ride-hailing giant was looking to bring back its high-end service Uber Black to India after a hiatus of almost 10 years to cater to the premium segment.

Uber’s new offerings come at a time when it is facing fierce competition in the ride-hailing segment from players like Ola Consumer, Rapido and Namma Yatri.

Since establishing its first and largest engineering centre in Asia in Bengaluru, Uber is trying to develop products in India, tailored for global consumption.