Uber announced, in December, a new, “phone-free” way to book one of their vehicles: The company plans to install physical kiosks at area airports, starting with Terminal C at LaGuardia Airport. Travelers will be able to request rides without downloading the Uber app onto their phones, the company says.
Future rollouts are being planned for “hotels, ports and international airports in the coming months,” an Uber executive added, calling it “perfect for international visitors arriving without a local data plan.” Customers can simply walk up to the kiosk, enter their destination, then start their ride. A paper receipt would be printed with the trip details,” Uber said.
Media outlet, The Independent, which reported on the new program, said “It was not immediately clear when the first kiosk could be expected at LaGuardia, or when the additional rollout would commence.” Uber will own and maintain the kiosks to start, though the operational model may evolve, a spokesperson added.
The app-hail giant announced other big changes earlier this year, including plans to launch an autonomous taxi program in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2026. The robotaxi service will use vehicles from EV company, Lucid – with the help of self-driving technology company, Nuro, Inc. Uber says it plans to issue more than 20,000 autonomous taxis in multiple locations.
Source: The Independent
