Uber, a company that provides transportation services similar to a taxi through a mobile application, introduces UberTRIP. It is a time-based ride-on-demand service that allows riders to explore popular tourist destinations in the comfort of an Uber-sanctioned car driven by a knowledgeable driver.
Uber Malaysia and Destination Perak hosted a media launch of UberTRIP on Wednesday, September 27 at 22 Hale Street, Ipoh. Ipoh is the first city in Malaysia to acquire this special feature. “The collaboration with Uber is crucial,” said Hisham Yusof, Head of Sales and Marketing, Destination Perak. “It creates a required framework and paradigm for tourism in Perak.”
Since Lonely Planet’s naming of Ipoh as one of the “Top 10 destinations to visit in Asia” the local tourism industry has gone into overdrive. Tour agents are beginning to promote the city as a globetrotting haven – both domestically and internationally. “We’ve UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Royal Belum State Park for sightseeing, among many others,” said Hisham.
Presently, there are 50 UberTRIP drivers who have undergone the intensive 2-day training programme, both in and out of the classroom, on the many landmarks of Ipoh and Perak. “We expect to have over 200 trained UberTRIP drivers soon,” said Karina Ali Noor, the General Manager of Expansion for Uber.
When asked why this training was essential, Hisham responded, “There are things that foreign tourists need to know such as the whereabouts of money changers, dos and don’ts, local taboos, etc.”
Hairul Fairus Mohamed Yusof, 41, a veteran Uber driver from Selangor who has clocked over a thousand rides within a span of nine months said, “The training was very good. When I first came to Ipoh and Perak, I didn’t know much about the place. The training helped me understand the state a lot better.”
At the moment, there are three suggested trips planned by Uber, created in collaboration with Destination Perak. They are: Ipoh-Gopeng Trip, Ipoh Heritage Trip and Ipoh Kuala Kangsar Trip. Many more will be added in the near future.
UberTRIP starts with a flat rate of RM140 for four hours and RM0.60 for every minute thereafter. This makes unravelling the wonders of Perak much more affordable than ever. For more information, please visit their website at t.uber.com/ubertripipoh.
Jack Foo
