Uber links up with Facebook

Uber links up with Facebook

Passengers can hail ride on social media

Chan Park, Uber's general manager for Southeast Asia, says Facebook will open up growth opportunities for the company. Uber has also selected Thailand as the third country, following Canada and Vietnam, to offer free rides to users if they are too drunk to drive themselves on New Year's Eve.
Chan Park, Uber's general manager for Southeast Asia, says Facebook will open up growth opportunities for the company. Uber has also selected Thailand as the third country, following Canada and Vietnam, to offer free rides to users if they are too drunk to drive themselves on New Year's Eve.

Facebook users outside the US will be able to request an Uber taxi ride directly through Facebook's own Messenger by next March without having to download Uber's mobile app.

Users can also track their driver's progress and pay for the ride via Facebook's Messenger app.

"The integration of Facebook's Messenger app with Uber will roll out internationally in the first quarter of 2016," said Chan Park, Uber's general manager for Southeast Asia.

Thailand is one of Uber's three largest Southeast Asian markets, while Uber has so far created 30,000 job opportunities in Thailand.

"Thailand has seen a large increase in social media adoption, particularly Facebook users," Mr Park said.

"Integrating with Facebook's Messenger will widen our growth opportunities."

He also said Uber had selected Thailand as the third country, following Canada and Vietnam, to offer free rides to users if they are too drunk to drive themselves on New Year's Eve. The company will set up breathalyser kiosks and invite revellers to test how drunk they are by analysing the alcohol content on their breath.

Users with blood alcohol content of more than 0.05% can receive a complimentary Uber ride to their homes.

Uber is also in collaboration with the Don't Drive Drunk Foundation and the traffic police in a campaign to reduce drunken driving and alcohol-related causes of death.

Mr Park said Thailand was ranked second in the world in terms of alcohol-related road crashes.

The World Health Organization says at least 26% of all road deaths in Thailand are directly related to drinking and driving.

Temple University in Pennsylvania reported that after Uber launched its service in California, the percentage of alcohol-related motor accidents decreased to 3.6% from 5.6%.

Another study found Seattle in Washington state saw a reduction of 10% in alcohol-related accidents after the Uber service was launched.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT