Boats are being added to the long list of ways you can travel with Uber this weekend, but you probably won’t be able to book one after a night out.
Uber is offering boat tours in Cambridge this weekend. The tour will last 40 minutes and will pass some of the most popular tourist spots in the historical city, including Cambridge City Centre, St John’s College and Fitzwilliam Museum, with all profits going to a local charity.
The boat trial is a new one for Uber in the UK, though the company has already tested out a similar service in Croatia. The company already offers shared car rides, electric bikes and in-app tube and bus updates as well as the regular cab service. However, one thing all of these modes of transportation have in common is that they’re, well, fast.
It feels a little strange to book an Uber with the intention of enjoying the ride rather than using the app to get home as soon as possible. Even the Uber Boats in Croatia are used to quickly hop from island to island, so the company offering leisurely rides across a historical river is… a little weird.
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That said, the boat rides are surprisingly easy on the wallet compared with how much a punting tour on the River Cam will usually set you back.
At £10 a boat for up to eight passengers, if you’ve been considering sailing across the River Cam for a while it seems this weekend might actually be the time.
Boats and chauffeurs are set to be provided by Tyrell’s Punting Cambridge/Cambridge Punters.
“Punting has been a popular mode of transport on the River Cam since the 1800s but until now not much has changed”, said Michael Di Stefano, co-owner of Tyrell’s Punting Cambridge/Cambridge Punters.
“We’re excited about giving punting a modern upgrade, booking tours through the Uber app for an easy way to experience punting in Cambridge. We can’t wait to show Uber users, both locals and tourists, the beautiful sights of this historical city.”
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“This year has been all about expanding the many ways you can travel using the Uber app – whether it’s in a car, on the tube or with a JUMP bike,” added Uber’s head of new mobility, Fred Jones.
“What better way to finish the summer than punting boats, a classic English pastime, booked through Uber app.” Indeed.
Bookings for Uber Boat journeys on the River Cam will begin this Thursday for those in a one mile radius of La Mimosa Restaurant, and will run from 11am to 6pm on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.