From Chicago to Miami, these are Uber’s toughest pickup spots. This app upgrade should help
face long waits and higher prices for ride-hailing services.
“As people are getting ready for summer travel … these are the types of features and upgrades that can really help with the (ride-sharing) experience,” Uber’s Vice President of Produce Management, Sachin Kansal, told USA TODAY.
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Which areas have the hardest Uber pickup spots?
An icon and pin on the driver’s map will now indicate what side of the street the rider is on, and the app will also offer a more detailed description of where riders can be found – pointing out which commercial building they’re standing near, for example.
The update should help reduce wait times and last-minute calls between riders and drivers at various locations.
Uber identified five of the hardest pickup areas across the country, based on wait times and how often the pin fell in the middle or wrong side of the street:
- Cloud Gate, Chicago
- Jefferson Square, San Francisco
- Regency Hotel, New York City
- Sherman Circle, Washington D.C.
- Westchester Shopping Center, Miami
Kansal said drivers rely on the app’s pin to know where the rider is; if it’s not clear which side of the road they are, it can lead to confusion, frantic phone calls and missed pickups.
“This is going to be a dramatic improvement,” he said. “Now … I will very clearly see whether the pin is on the right-hand side or left-hand side.”
The company will continue to roll out improved navigation features throughout the year, including a traffic-based rerouting feature that can predict congested areas that will be available later this summer.
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