Private on-demand taxi ride service Uber is pushing out a new concept that they say is family-friendly, but it will also bring in extra bucks for the company and New York City drivers. The new move will enable customers to have their children use a child's seat at an additional $10 surcharge per ride.
The idea is to allow more and more customers to use the private ride service without worry that their children will be left behind around town.
In celebration of the new move, Care.com is helping Uber users get their children into the car by picking up the additional charge this weekend as a means of commemorating Mother's Day.
The new service is called uberFAMILY and should help continue to boost the company's revenues as it gets into the family business.
NYC general manager Josh Mohrer disclosed that the company has tapped its best UberX drivers in the city to go around with child car seats in their vehicles. All drivers on the new service have been trained and will be aware of all the ins and outs of the custom IMMI car seats that the drivers will have in their trunks, ready for use. Some drivers did not pass the test in order to be "child safe."
Uber NYC GM Josh Mohrer described the program as "emblematic to our commitment to safety." Mohrer added that the company had heard from its riders that kids around New york were being transported without car services in taxis and other car services.
Uber says it is continuing to look at new safety measures in order to ensure its riders have the best quality ride.
The FAMILY move comes after the company recently issued a $1 safe ride fee as it pushes new concepts to ensure the safety of its passengers.
"Uber has always been and will always be the safest ride on the road. That's been a commitment from the beginning," Mohrer said.
While some are already lashing out at the company, saying these surcharges are a way for the company to make money without offering much in real service or change.
But Mohrer disagrees and believes the company is being fair.
"We wanted to find a price point that we felt was reasonable," he said. "We needed to make this interesting for drivers such that they would want to be participate," he said
