Popular ride booking app Uber – which already exists in more than 40 cities across the UK – is finally launching in Chester.
As of 4pm today (July 20), Cestrians will be able to book a licensed private hire car at the touch of a button.
With Uber, you can easily book a licensed driver to travel affordably from A to B. So a journey from Chester Zoo to Ellesmere Port will cost around £8-11 and from the University of Chester to John Lennon Airport around £40-53.
The Uber app charges your trip to the debit or credit card on your account – so there’s no need to carry cash or stop at a cash machine on your way home.
You can also split the fare equally through the app with friends and family who have an account.
Once the trip is booked, you can see the driver’s photo, name and car registration number and you can watch the car arrive in real-time on a map. The app will then notify you when the car is outside so there’s no need to wait in the rain.
How you can get a discount
To celebrate the launch new users can enter the code ‘CHESTER’ into the promotion section of their app for up to £10 off their first trip.
Neil McGonigle, Uber’s general manager for Chester, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be launching in Chester today and helping people get from A to B at the touch of a button. There has been a lot of anticipation for Uber’s arrival with people opening the app more than 100,000 times in the city over the past six months.
"This launch also means that local private hire drivers can benefit from the flexibility of the Uber app – becoming their own boss and choosing when they want to drive.”
In order to use the Uber app in the UK, drivers must be licensed for private hire and pass the required DBS background checks - the same checks as black cab drivers.
Helping people get from A to B is a big responsibility and Uber uses technology to ensure safety and transparency. All trips are recorded with details of the driver, rider, fare and route taken.
At the end of each trip both the rider and the driver rate the journey with the option to leave feedback. This helps ensure that the most efficient route was taken and creates accountability for behaviour.
Here's how to book a car with Uber
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