Uber to offer public transit options in Las Vegas

by Marty Johnson - 01/07/20 11:25 AM ET

Commuters and tourists in Las Vegas will soon be able to buy bus tickets through Uber’s app.

Uber users in Sin City will be able to compare the price and arrival times of public transportation with that of Uber’s various options and then choose which one they want, CNN Business reported on Monday.

Las Vegas is the second city to team up with the ride-hailing company, joining Denver, which began a similar program in May.

Uber reportedly announced its partnership with the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show.

Fewer Americans have been using public transportation since ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft came to market over the last decade. But buses and trains remain the most space-efficient way to transport people in cities, and increased use of ride-hailing apps has led to unsustainable congestion, according to experts.

Uber’s head of transit David Reich told CNN Business that the move is “bit of a risk,” for the company.

“We’re taking riders who are opening the Uber app planning to take an Uber and saying in some situations, taking public transportation is better.”

However, Reich said that Uber alone can’t be the solution to cities’ transportation issues.

“Public transportation is the backbone of how people move about their cities and for Uber to thrive, public transportation has to thrive,” he said.

RTC tickets bought from Uber’s app will cost the same as if it was bought directly from RTC and Uber won’t receive a cut from any of the RTC fares bought through its app, though Uber does have a business contract with Masabi, the British company that provides the mobile ticketing technology, CNN says.

Uber’s program in Denver has enjoyed steady growth since its inception in May. According to Denver’s Regional Transportation District, 37,289 tickets were sold through Uber in 2019 and the company reported that it saw a weekly growth in sales of 15 precent.

CNN reports that Uber is planning on launching more ticket partnerships with more cities this year.