It's been a year since Uber launched its car-riding service in Istanbul, Turkey. As a way to celebrate the company's first year anniversary of operating in the city, Uber is giving the locals a new riding option that promises to make each ride more reliable and more comfortable than ever.
Uber is launching UberBOAT and has partnered with the country's leading luxury sea transport company Navette-Tezman Holding in order to provide the sea-based riding service. Through this service, people will be able to travel across the Bosphorus Strait, the channel that separates the country's European and Asian sides.
"Today, on the day of our 1 year anniversary in this unique city that bridges two continents, we're launching UberBOAT! We partnered with the leading luxury sea transport company Navette to bring you UberBOAT in Istanbul," said Uber on its blog post.
According to Uber, people can get the service whenever they are near the waterside. They should be able to find the UberBOAT option on the app's vehicle menu. If they need a ride and an empty boat is nearby, they can simply set their pick up location and contact Uber to request a boat. Afterwards, they should expect to get a call from the boat's captain who will confirm that a boat is already on its way.
Just like the car service, fares on the UberBOAT will depend on the chosen destination. The fare cost would range somewhere between $20 and $150. The best thing about Uber is they allow fare sharing among riders. Each boat can hold six to eight passengers. This means that each passenger can pay as cheap as $2.5 to $18.75. Along with that cheap fare, they also get the chance to enjoy a traffic-free ride and an exhilarating view of the famous Bosphorus Strait.
"UberBOAT fares [as] based on distance (sea mile) and time and will be automatically charged on your credit card at the end of a trip," said Uber.
This is not the first time that Uber has launched a boat service to customers. Last summer, Uber has partnered with the Boston Harbor Cruises to launch its ferry services in Boston. However, the offer is only temporary and has ended shortly after the change of the season.
The new UberBOAT in Istanbul, Turkey seemed to be an all-season offering of Uber and is poised to become its pilot operation. It remains to be seen whether it will have the same reception in other cities such as Paris where violent protests against the ride-sharing service have erupted lately.
