Uber has announced it has completed its billionth journey since launching in 2009.
The milestone was crossed on Christmas Eve in London, Uber said in a blog post, when "Marvin and Ara" took a £5 ride to Hoxton from London Fields.
Notwithstanding the fact that the Number 394 bus could easily have served as an alternative transport option, shuttling our riders on more or less the same route in less than 20 minutes, the momentous journey was enough for Uber to cross into 10 digits worth of customers served.
The passenger -- Marvin -- will receive up to a year or £10,000 worth of free rides, while the driver, Ara, will get a free vacation in any city in which Uber operates, with all expenses paid. "One billion. That’s a whole lot of riders and drivers sharing the road, special moments, and celebrations together. Certainly far more than we ever imagined when we got started in San Francisco five and a half years ago," Uber said in a blog post.
So while the billionth Uber journey might seem like a small piece of news -- Uber’s rapid growth and recent launches of lower-cost options like UberPool in London mean it will definitely reach its second billion much more quickly than its first — it did at least have one positive impact on the London community (as long as you aren’t a taxi driver). "Marvin, Ara -- thank you for being part of this special moment. And thanks to everyone who rode or drove Uber on one of the 999,999,999 trips before this one. We’re looking forward to sharing the next several billion with you all," Uber said.
At WIRED Retail 2015, Uber's Jo Bertram said that the service plans to deliver more than just people in the near future, and said that despite widespread political debate the service was a positive addition to the city. "It's almost impossible for us to think ahead," she said. "But we're always looking at pushing the boundaries of the services we offer." But one prediction is possible -- that "by 2025 there will be no need to own a private car". "We're able to start solving, or helping to solve some of the really big transportation problems in our cities," she said.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
