Uber Rolls Out New Hourly Ride Order Feature In Some US Cities

Following a successful pilot of the feature, Uber is introducing 'Hourly' in several cities in the United States. The feature, as its name suggests, enables Uber riders to request cars on an hourly basis rather than per-ride. This feature will be easier for riders who need to make multiple stops, go to the grocery store, and other occasions in which multiple rides would otherwise be necessary.

If you depend on Uber for rides, you likely deal with one annoying aspect of the service: having to order multiple rides for every place you need to go during the day. This is fine for things like hitching a ride to work but is annoying if you're spending the day running a handful of errands. Each car order requires several minutes or more of waiting, making the overall time spent running around take longer.

With Hourly rides, Uber users can request a car for a specific duration, which will give the rider on-demand access to the car during that time. This could be useful for running to the grocery store, laundromat, and pharmacy, for example, eliminating the need to order new rides at every destination.

Uber already tested the feature in various parts of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. With this latest expansion, Hourly also arrives in Tacoma, Seattle, Philadelphia, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, Orlando, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Tampa Bay. The feature will be available to all riders in these markets starting on June 2.

Drivers who are eligible to take Hourly rides can opt into the option in their Work Hub; Uber says that it won't penalize drivers for declining rides that pop up in their area. Users are shown the cost of the trip alongside the hours they choose; the rate is $50 per hour with mileage overage charges that depend on the city where the ride is ordered.