Uber hails ice cream trucks
Uber, a private car reservation service that makes it possible to hail participating drivers through mobiles apps, today announced that its users can now request ice cream trucks in 33 different cities in 10 countries. Van Leeuwen and Mister Softee are the participating vendors and will be offering a special package for Uber users.
Users can track the trucks' arrivals via GPS, and the service will be available from late morning until the end of the business day today. New York customers are being charged US$30 for 6 ice creams; promotional tank tops and sunglasses are included. See here for a marketing video covering all the pertinent details.
This idea of serving up frozen treats may sound unconventional, but it's not for Uber. The company is disruptive to how transportation has long worked in cities. It has battled regulators and lawsuits throughout its existence; it controversially has charged its customers more during foul weather and events, because the service isn't as regulated as taxi and limousine services. Uber also recently announced fare splitting.
(image credits: David Worthington, Twitter)
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This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com