Uber users can now book rides for up to three contacts in India

Uber users can now book up to three rides simultaneously for their family or friends in India. The ride-hailing app is reportedly rolling out the concurrent rides feature, hoping to increase adoption amid cut-throat competition from local rivals in the country. Concurrent rides will allow users to book rides for people who do not use Uber or do not have a smartphone.

The concurrent rides feature debuted last year in several markets, including the United States. TechCrunch has reported that Uber will also allow individual riders to pay drivers directly through the app or with cash, reducing the user’s involvement. However, the user can also choose to pay online for all three rides from the same payment source. According to the report, the feature is now available in India but rolling out in a phased manner. This means some users can access it before others, but no clarity on when the feature will be widely available or in which cities.

“As we understand that one may need to book a ride for their loved one at the same time as they are in an Uber — we launched concurrent rides late last year globally. It allows riders to book and track up to three concurrent rides,” TechCrunch quoted an Uber spokesperson as saying.

When a user books a ride for a contact, the trip details are shareable over WhatsApp, text messages, and other ways. Details include the driver’s name, ride type, vehicle registration number, driver’s contact number, a tracking link, and a four-digit PIN to begin the ride. Since the details are available to both the user and the rider, it ensures a higher safety level for passengers. Previously, Uber allowed a single trip at a time. So if you were to take a ride for yourself, you could not book another until the ongoing trip was complete. Concurrent rides will solve the problem, but only up to three rides at a time.