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Uber will update its mobile application to give users access to modes of transportation outside its core ride-hailing business, including bike-sharing, car-sharing vehicles, and public transportation like buses and trains, The Verge reports.
The move, which comes only days after the firm announced the acquisition of bike-sharing startup Jump, is likely an effort to smooth over some of the tensions the company has historically faced with cities and other local governments globally.
In addition, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company will share more of the data it collects on traffic, biking, and pedestrian patterns in an effort to “become true partners to cities for the long-term.” Part of the updated app has already launched in Washington, D.C. — users can book Jump bikes through the Uber app — but the company hasn’t specified when it plans to roll out the full update to D.C. users or the rest of its user base.
Uber continues to pursue opportunities beyond its core ride-hailing business, but this move is likely the most significant yet outside of shared mobility. While the company continues to develop autonomous driving technologies for cars and commercial semi-trucks that will be used in its own vehicle network, this move will give Uber users access to third-party transportation services through the Uber app for the first time. The move thus shows Uber is looking to broaden options for its users for scenarios when its core ride-hailing business won’t get them from point A to point B in the quickest way possible.