Uber sets sail with River Thames boat service

Uber users will soon be able to hire a boat to sail up and down the River Thames in London.

The ride-hailing company will soon allow users to book a ticket on Thames Clippers, the river taxi service in London, through its app.

Until now, customers normally bought tickets to Thames Clippers using Oyster Card stations on piers along the Thames.

The service, Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, will see the London river boats rebranded with Uber logos on the river from Putney to Woolwich Arsenal.

Thames Clippers operates a fleet of 20 boats and is used by 4.3 million people each year. It operates a service that runs through the city and includes stops along the river at Canary Wharf in the east, the London Eye in the centre of town and Battersea Power Station in the west.

The service was launched in 1999 and taken over by events giant AEG in 2006, which also owns the O2 Arena and Wembley Stadium. The re-branded service will remain under the ownership of AEG.

The expansion into river boats is just the latest deal that sees Uber attempting to add bookings for different modes of transport through its app.

It has expanded its app to show other forms of public transport for when customers want to plan a journey. In some cities, it has launched responsive minibus services.

However, lockdown has caused demand for its ride-hailing services to plummet, dropping up to 80pc.

Jamie Heyhood, regional general manager of Uber, said: “Many Londoners are looking for new ways to travel around the city, particularly when they start commuting back to work. Later this summer we will launch the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers in London as a means for people to arrange travel on the river and road, all through the Uber app.”