Uber crosses Bosphorus with boat service

ISTANBUL

HÜRRİYET Photo

Smartphone technology company Uber is set to go intercontinental by carrying passengers back and forth across Istanbul’s central Bosporus strait via water-taxis. 

The service, called UberBOAT, will appear on the smartphone app when a user stands near the coastline of the city’s famous waterway. 

Uber, which has recently faced harsh criticism in several countries, said it will launch UberBOAT in cooperation with the luxury maritime transportation company Navette–Tezman Holding, in a written statement on June 25. The application will allow users to call on private speed boats for journeys on the Bosphorus, it added. 

UberBOAT will be incorporated in the Uber application and can be utilized the same way as other Uber services, charged according to the distance. 

Uber’s water-taxi service will start at 50 Turkish Liras ($19) and boats will have a passenger capacity of from seven to 10 individuals. Users are able to split the fare among themselves with the tap of a button, in the same way as other Uber services, the company stated. 

Uber users will see the UberBOAT option on the vehicle menu when they are by the seaside. If there is an available boat nearby, users can set their pick-up location and the captain will call to confirm the ride, after which a speed boat will arrive. 

“We launched UberBOAT in the city that bridges two continents in celebration of our one year anniversary and provide a reliable and comfortable transportation option. We aim to help users reach their destinations with a comfortable and fun journey. Our aim is to expand Uber with progressive services,” said Uber’s International Expansion Manager Lokman Kuris. 

(Click here to read the Bloomberg story)