Although driving in Ipoh is not as hectic as in Kuala Lumpur, one cannot dismiss the fact that the city’s traffic is unpredictable and finding parking is sometimes difficult. You can put your mind at ease (for the moment at least) because Uber service is now available in Ipoh.
Founded in 2009, by Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, Uber set up in Malaysia last year and has made its mark in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bharu, Penang and, hopefully, in Ipoh. During a soft launch ceremony held on Wednesday, February 3 at The Deck, WEIL Hotel, Ipoh, Marketing Coordinator for Uber Malaysia, Eda Tan, hoped Ipohites would respond positively during the month-long trial run in February.
“Ipoh has developed enormously. Uber definitely wants to be a part of it. We want the community to take the opportunity and give the service a try,” said Eda to reporters.
With base fare as low as RM1 and only 50 sen per km (25 sen per minute), Ipohites can start using the service via an application (app) through their smartphones. After downloading the app, fill in the requirements needed, including your credit card or debit card number for payment and you are good to go. Unlike regular taxis, there is no cash transaction between the driver and passenger. Fares will be deducted via online banking and customers will receive their receipts through their emails.
Upon confirmation of booking, the app will send you the photo of the driver, the type of car and the plate number to make identification easier. It will also tell you the estimated time of arrival of the car.
While KLites get to enjoy different types of Uber services such as Uber XL (larger cars) and Uber Black (luxury cars), in Ipoh it is just Uber X. For more information on Uber, go to its website www.uber.com.
Ili Aqilah and Nantini
