Uber To Now Offer Bus Services in Delhi, Gets Licence From Transport Department

In a major development for Delhi commuters, ride-hailing app Uber will now be offering bus services under a new programme called ‘Uber Shuttle’. For this, Uber has received an aggregator licence from the Delhi Transport Department to operate buses in the national capital under Delhi’s premium bus scheme, the company said in a statement.

Delhi becomes the first state to award a licence for bus operations and Uber becomes the first aggregator to be granted a licence under the Delhi Premium Bus scheme, according to the statement.

Riders can book seats on their chosen route by choosing the ‘Uber Shuttle’ option on the Uber app, with features like pre-booking and live bus tracking. This service follows a successful trial programme and aims to provide a convenient and tech-savvy alternative for public transport in Delhi.

Uber Shuttle India head Amit Deshpande said, “Following a successful pilot programme, where we witnessed significant demand for buses, we are thrilled to officially introduce the convenience of Uber rides to buses in Delhi.”

The formal launch of Uber Shuttle, a bus service tailored for daily commuting needs, brings to fruition a pilot programme that was initially tested in Delhi-NCR and has been operational in Kolkata since last year under an MoU with the West Bengal government, as per the statement.

Commuters will be able to pre-book seats up to a week in advance, track the live location and route of the bus, and view its expected time of arrival (ETA) — all through the Uber app, it said.

Each shuttle vehicle will be able to accommodate 19-50 passengers and will be operated by local fleet partners using Uber’s technology.