Uber, the app-based transportation finder that has been enjoying huge success (and upsetting taxi associations) around the world, has just launched a new, cheaper version of their service in Johannesburg.
uberBlack has already been available in Jozi for about a year but Uber have now also dropped uberX, a far less costly app-sourced ride finder that will see passengers taking their trips in Toyota models as opposed to luxury German rolling iron. The base price has been lowered, as has all of the other metrics involved in taking a ride to your destination – everything from the minimum fare to the price per minute has been dropped.
To celebrate the launch, Uber have announced a free weekend on uberX in Johannesburg. As from 11:00 today, Uber users, both new and existing, will be able to catch a ride free of charge, right up until 23:00 on Sunday, 17 August.
Uber’s Johannesburg GM Alon Lits said in a statement “We are thrilled to launch uberX in Johannesburg today. This new service means that you can now enjoy the seamlessness, efficiency and industry-leading safety features of Uber at an extremely affordable price. We are humbled by the response of Joburg to Uber and we are already providing thousands of safe rides on a weekly basis.”
So, if you’re in the region and want to see what all the fuss is about with Uber and uberX, you can nab the app on Android, iPhone, Windows Phone and BlackBerry 7. There’s also a web interface if you’re not the app using type, which can be found here.